If the Team of the Season was drawn up today, you’d struggle to find many without Jonjo Shelvey pulling the strings.
In-form Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is a ‘privilege’ to share a pitch with, team-mate Isaac Hayden has told the club’s official website.
Shelvey arrived at St James’ in January after a high-profile falling out with Garry Monk stalled his hitherto impressive progress at Swansea City, though his addition, or the appointment of Rafael Benitez, did little to prevent Newcastle from tumbling into the Championship.
However, the 24-year-old has recovered from the most testing period of his career in resplendent style with a number of masterful performances from the base of midfield helping The Magpies soar to the top of the Championship table.
And Hayden believes no one in the second tier comes close to Newcastle’s number 12.
“I’d say he’s the best central midfielder in the Championship,” the former Arsenal youngster told Newcastle’s official website.
“I think everybody who’s playing in that position can aspire to be at that level and I think if he plays at the level he’s been playing at for the last few games then an England call-up wouldn’t be too far away.
“It’s a privilege to play with him.”
The plaudits have been plentiful for Shelvey in recent weeks with Ian Holloway, who has spent the majority of his long managerial career in the lower leagues, lauding the metronomic playmaker as a ‘genius’ and the best player he has ever seen at Championship level, according to the Daily Star.
And Benitez himself publically encouraged then-England boss Sam Allardyce to reward Shelvey’s form with a seventh international cap after he netted two sublime goals in a 6-0 thrashing of QPR in September, the Express reported.
With interim manager Gareth Southgate making regular trips to the North East, he may well find that Shelvey is just impossible to ignore.
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