MAURICIO POCHETTINO went to extraordinary lengths to make sure Luke Shaw was eating the right food during his time at Southampton – and would even visit him at home.

The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss revealed he would turn up at the defender’s house to stop him tucking into PIZZA.

Pochettino was speaking on The Overlap alongside Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Jill Scott when the amusing story came up.

Neville asked the Argentine: “Was it true that when you was at Southampton like with Luke Shaw, that you used to go round to his house because he was eating pizzas and you used to make the players eat the right foods all the time? Is that true about the Luke Shaw story or is that a myth?”

Pochettino appeared to confirm the tale, saying: “Yes. It’s like another thing that makes us proud because OK, you asked two questions yes.”

It was that immediate response of “yes” which appeared to confirm Neville’s question as true.

But Keane was quick to jump in with a cheeky dig at the Manchester United star.

The former Red Devils captain interrupted: “I think he’s still eating pizzas by the way, you stopped him in Southampton and now he’s eating them in Manchester.”

Keane then had the whole room laughing, before adding: “Only joking.”

Current United States national team head coach Pochettino, 54, has been linked with a return to the Premier League and a potential move to Old Trafford.

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Sun Sport understands he is open to listening to an approach from United, who are said to be on the verge of sacking Michael Carrick.

A move could even see him reunite with Shaw, having played a key role in the defender’s development during their time together at Southampton.

Shaw was handed his breakthrough under Nigel Adkins, but Pochettino replaced him just over halfway through the 2012/13 campaign.

The left-back, then just 17, cemented his place in the first team under the Argentine before turning 18 in the summer of 2013.

Saints went on to finish eighth in the Premier League the following season, with Shaw a regular in the side.

His performances earned him a big-money move to Manchester United in the summer of 2014, with the Red Devils paying around £30million for his services.

But his career at Old Trafford has been stop-start, with injuries repeatedly disrupting his progress.

The worst came in September 2015, when Shaw suffered a double leg fracture during United’s 2-1 Champions League defeat away to PSV Eindhoven – keeping him out for nearly a year.

He has currently been out injured for more than a month, having last featured in United’s 1-1 draw against Spurs on October 10.

Shaw has yet to return to training but will use the international break to build up his fitness.