Luke Shaw says the atmosphere in the Manchester United dressing room has been ‘quite toxic’.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has backed manager Ruben Amorim’s uncompromising approach to improve standards in the dressing room, arguing the atmosphere had been “quite toxic” at times.

Amorim took charge at struggling United in November and demanded more commitment from the squad. He also froze out key figures like Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, who were among five players seeking to exit the club in the close season.

“A lot of the time I’ve been here over the last few years it’s been extremely negative,” Shaw, a United player since 2014, said in an interview with the BBC published on Wednesday.

“It can be quite toxic. The environment, it’s not healthy at all. … We need an environment that’s healthy, that’s positive, that’s got good energy and happiness. When you have all those things, you feel free, and you express yourself more.