Van de Beek came on for the last five minutes in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw at Atalanta on Tuesday night and made an impact in his brief cameo.
He was part of the build-up to Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury-time equaliser and almost scored the winner himself in the dying minutes of the game.
It was Van de Beek’s first outing in a Manchester United shirt in over a month and only his fourth appearance for the club this season.
Shaw conceded that his team-mates understand the situation Van de Beek is in and admits that they would have accepted if the midfielder sulked a bit.
However, he stressed that the Dutchman’s attitude has been top-notch and believes if he continues on the same path, the chances will come for him going forward.
Shaw told Dutch broadcaster RTL: “We understand Donny’s situation.
“He is a great guy, a very sweet boy. We all love him and he is a top professional.
“It would not be surprising if he walked disappointed or a little sad once because he is not playing, but he always works hard, trains well and he does it with his head held high.
“If he continues to behave like this, then I have no doubt, the chances are coming.”
Van de Beek will hope that Tuesday night’s cameo will be enough to convince Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to give him more opportunities.
