Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw never doubted he would turn his career around at Old Trafford.
The left-back has enjoyed an excellent comeback after falling out of favour under former manager Jose Mourinho.
Speaking ahead of the Europa League final on Wednesday, Shaw said: “I always believed I would be able to do it.
“When I was going through the bad times and wasn’t playing, people were telling me to go play somewhere else.
“No-one wants to leave the biggest club in the world. I believe there was a reason why I was brought here and I didn’t want to leave and not show what I can do.
“I dug deep and I didn’t let anyone affect me. Now I’m on a much better path. The stuff I’ve gone through, if I didn’t have the support I would have struggled even more. My mum and dad, especially, and Anouska have known about my struggles and they’ve been so supportive.
“I had a conversation with my girlfriend before the start of the season about what my aims were. She’s pushed me and kept me on a straight path. Her and the little one have helped me outside of football and it’s nice to know you’re going back to a loving home. You grow up much more when you’ve had a kid.”