As Newcastle United prepare to open their Premier League season against an England-heavy Tottenham Hotspur side, Jonjo Shelvey will hope to impress.
With Newcastle United returning to the Premier League, star man Jonjo Shelvey will hope he can force his way back into the England set-up before next summer’s World Cup.
And the fixture list has granted Shelvey an early opportunity to show his international credentials with a season opener against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
In Eric Dier and Dele Alli, Spurs boast two of England’s starting midfielders and Shelvey will know that he must immediately show that he belongs on the pitch with players of that calibre.
The former Swansea City man is unlikely to displace Alli any time soon, but he could put pressure on Dier – or at least emerge as a potential Three Lions team-mate.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jake Livermore was a fairly uninspiring choice alongside Dier in England’s last World Cup qualifier against Scotland and Shelvey, last called up in 2015, will now feel he can make that position his own.
Having enjoyed a fine season in the Championship and followed that up with an impressive summer in friendly action for Newcastle, the 25-year-old has never been in better shape to deliver a reminder of his immense talent.
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