Luke Shaw did Gareth Southgate proud against Spain after the England manager's major Euros gamble

'Luke, please don't pull your hamstring again,' quipped Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe towards the end of a heartfelt good luck video montage put together by the BBC ahead of kick-off.

It was meant as a joke. But truth be told, Ratcliffe was speaking for an entire nation.

Because this was quite the call from England head coach Gareth Southgate. We weren't in Las Vegas, there wasn't a casino in sight. But this was serious high stakes gambling from Southgate.

Shaw, prior to Sunday night, hadn't started a football match for 148 days owing to a hamstring injury suffered at Kenilworth Road in Manchester United's win against Luton way back in February.

Yet, as revealed by Mail Sport just after 4pm on Sunday, the left-back was back in the team. Back in the game.

Not just any game, of course. Arguably the biggest England have played since 1966.

Ahead of Sunday's final Shaw had played a measly 87 minutes of football in two separate substitute appearances, earlier in the tournament, in a six month period.

For 45 minutes, Shaw showed little signs of rust as he expertly nullified the potent threat posed by boy wonder Lamine Yamal.

Then, inside two minutes of the restart, Shaw was caught. Dani Carvajal's reverse pass into Yamal left Shaw stranded.

Seconds later Spain were ahead after Lamine set up Nico Williams, who rifled past Jordan Pickford.

This was some re-introduction for Shaw. Football at this level is cut-throat - if Shaw needed any reminding then that moment of brilliance from Carvajal would have done it.

Yet, dissecting whether this was a gamble that paid off requires a balanced approach.

This was a daunting Euros baptism for Shaw as he was handed the envious task of containing the prodigious talents of Yamal.

For the most part, Shaw repaid his manager's faith in the searing pressure cooker here at the Olympiastadion.

If Yamal knew little about Shaw ahead of kick-off, he'll sure as hell know about him now.

The Spain attacker, unquestionably one of the stars of the tournament, accumulated a passing accuracy of just 66 percent during the first half thanks in no small part to the way in which Shaw managed his threat.

'Defensively he will be really happy against Yamal,' said former England international Gary Neville, speaking at half-time.

'Shaw has been strong, he has become a really good defender. Manchester United and England have missed him at his best.'

What was most impressive about Shaw was the way in which he picked up the pace of a game he hasn't played for so long.

There was no time for easing himself in. In a final that is the tallest of orders.

In many ways Shaw was simply playing off memory. He doesn't have the games in his legs. He'll have lacked any real continuity.

That makes his efforts here all the more admirable. Running on adrenaline? Yes perhaps - but whatever works for you.

Bereft of defensive balance on their left side, Southgate has relied on Kieran Trippier for all of England's six matches here ahead of Sunday's final.

Trippier has been a warrior. But Southgate knew the nuances of a right-footed player playing on the left would restrict his team's fluency.

In the 20th minute Shaw surveyed the scene and spotted Bukayo Saka in space on the opposite flank.

Shaw drew back his left foot before spraying an inch-perfect 40 yard pass. Seconds later he was bursting into Spain's box to pick a loose ball.

It was a snapshot of what Southgate knew his side were missing. Who knows how the performances may have varied if Shaw had been fit.

Of course, spare a thought for Trippier in all of this. Having started every game here in Germany barring the final this was a cruel way for his tournament to climax.

At 33, whose to say if he'll still be playing for England when the World Cup wings its way to the USA in 2026.

There's every chance Shaw, who'll be 31 in two years, will have another crack at a major tournament.

England, Manchester United and Ratcliffe will all hope his injury problems are finally behind him.