But football is rarely uncomplicated, and not only did he miss out on a starting spot for England's match against Croatia on Sunday, but Gareth Southgate chose Kieran Trippier instead, a player United are interested in signing this summer.
Although his preferred position is right-back, he has shown that he can also play on the opposite wing.
Shaw can only produce when given the chance, and after waiting 2,551 days for his second England appearance at a World Cup or Euros, his third is only days away after providing some much-needed relief in the Wembley pressure cooker.
The raucous boos that greeted the teams as they emerged from the tunnel were especially surprising after a year without fans in the stands, and there were a few heated exchanges once the game began; one of the more surprising clashes was between Chelsea teammates Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour.
England were rocked early on, whether it was due to the atmosphere, the torrential rain, or simply the match circumstance, as John Stones was forced to switch on in the fourth minute to block a goalbound shot from Che Adams.
Despite the efforts of Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden, the finest chance of the half belonged to Scotland's Stephen O'Donnell, whose thundering volley was easily saved by Jordan Pickford.
The second half showed little to no improvement, with the raucous away fans cheering the game out while their team kept the hosts at bay, allowing David Marshall in the Scotland goal to scarcely see the ball.
Mason Mount was the team's brightest spark upfront, however, they lost some of their attacking glitter when their busiest man, Foden, was substituted on the hour mark. A scoring celebration could not match Jack Grealish's thunderous reaction.
Southgate's team is still in command of their group, but this was a game to bring them back to earth following their triumph over 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia.
Three points against Czech Republic will be enough to put them in first place in the group, but they must improve on their stodgy, cautious approach, which saw Sterling and Harry Kane isolated for much the whole game.
Despite England's travails, Shaw was a calm presence on the left flank, sturdy defensively, quick to push forward in support, and precise in pinging crosses into teammates in the box rather than mindlessly whipping them in.
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