Does Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey deserves to be playing for England? Here are the pros and cons.
Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle in action during the Premier League match against Liverpool.
It has now been almost two years since Jonjo Shelvey played for England, with the Newcastle United midfielder coming off the bench during a 2-0 friendly victory over France in November 2015.
Yet when Gareth Southgate named his latest squad for recent World Cup qualifiers with Slovenia and Lithuania, several pundits suggested Shelvey should have been in it – with both Graeme Souness and Jamie Carragher speaking on Sky Sports about the 25-year-old’s potential quality at international level.
(L-R) Glenn Hoddle, Graeme Souness and Ed Chamberlain present the Sky Sports Super Sunday TV coverage.
The Magpies star certainly has something in his game which the Three Lions are currently lacking in midfield with an eye for a creative path. Adam Lallana arguably offers that in the final third, but from a deep-lying position there is little impetus going forwards, with the likes of Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson often looking for the simple pass sideways or backwards.
This was seen in Newcastle’s last outing – a 1-1 draw at home against the Reds – in which when given time and space Shelvey sprayed the ball around the pitch and set up Joselu for the equaliser with a defence-splitting pass.
Jonjo Shelvey of Newcastle United arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match against Liverpool.
Yet as Souness pointed out: “Sometimes he has more than an edge and he has to get that out of his game. At 25 he must have learned his lesson. There’s so much to like about him and he’s got so much to offer – he will stand up to someone, he has a pass, he has technique – but he has the exploding head he must control.”
This was seen on the opening day of the season when Shelvey stamped on Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli, earning himself a straight red card and three-match ban.
Which is where the issue lies, as for all his talent a lack of discipline would make him a risky selection for the safety first approach of Southgate.
Shelvey may not have earned his recall just yet, but a good domestic campaign in which he finally combines his undoubted talent with responsibility could easily see him on the plane to Russia next summer.
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