Jonjo Shelvey has committed his future to Newcastle United, as reported by The Daily Star.
With Rafael Benitez and Ayoze Perez among the notable departures at the club this summer, the former Liverpool man has spoken of his desire to remain on Tyneside despite previous reports from the Daily Mail that West Ham United were keen on a move.
As well as keeping numbers up after the outgoings, the Englishman can also be very useful on the pitch despite his fairly limited game-time under Benitez towards the end of the Spaniard’s tenure at St. James’ Park.
Someone’s reputation can often precede them, which is the case with Shelvey. There are many with the opinion (Danny Mills has previously spoken about it to the BBC via HITC) he is a hothead who lacks discipline, though in his 10 starts and seven substitute appearances last season, the 27-year-old only got one yellow card.
This comes while he still made 1.4 tackles (per WhoScored) and 0.8 clearances per game, which shows he wasn’t shirking his defensive responsibilities. Indeed, he spoke to NUFCTV (via the Chronicle) back in January about how he’s learned to grow up and claims his ‘job is to be a professional footballer and that you need to look after yourself.’
He may have only recorded one goal and one assist, but he did average 1.6 key passes per game, which shows he can be a creative spark in the Newcastle midfield next season.
There will be some who feel that Shelvey’s announcement is not that big a deal for Newcastle, but if given the chance to shine, the England international can be an integral part of the side. He made the second-most key passes in the squad last season with 1.6 per 90 mins, as well as the second-most crosses per game with 0.9, so does remain one of the most creative in the squad.
One of the biggest criticisms towards him has often been his discipline, which he is now seemingly addressing, so there is no reason to not get behind him.
Can Shelvey get back to his best next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…
