Given the platform of the Premier League, Jonjo Shelvey has the talent to quickly earn a recall to the England squad.
After Jake Livermore started in midfield for England against Scotland on Saturday, Gareth Southgate has suggested defender John Stones could play in that role in the future.
“[Stones] has all the attributes and capabilities to play as a holding midfield player,” the England manager was quoted by the BBC.
Yet Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey is surely a better option than either Livermore or Stones in a two-man midfield.
The supremely talented 25-year-old had been a regular squad member while starring for Swansea City, but he fell down the international pecking order as he moved to Newcastle and suffered relegation.
However, Shelvey has improved significantly after a year working with Rafael Benitez, having been one of the standout players in the Championship.
A season in the second tier allowed the deep-lying creator to hone his skills, showing a previously unseen energy in his displays and working on the defensive aspects of his game.
While a call-up as a Championship player was unlikely, Shelvey should quickly prove in the Premier League that he is a superior midfielder to both Livermore and the out-of-position Stones.
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