Jonjo Shelvey began the season by blowing a fuse but could yet end it by switching on the lights for England in Russia this summer. When Newcastle’s playmaker stepped directly into Andre Marriner’s line of vision and trod on Dele Alli’s ankle as Newcastle lost 2-0 at home against Tottenham last August, the referee had no hesitation in reaching for the red card.
At that highly self-destructive moment it was almost impossible to see Shelvey as the solution to Gareth Southgate’s creative problems. Moreover, for quite a while afterwards, it seemed that even Rafael Benítez regarded his most gifted midfielder as untrustworthy.
Fast forward eight months and Newcastle’s manager happily details not only precisely why Shelvey should join Alli and company on England’s flight to St Petersburg but emphasises the case for Southgate building a World Cup campaign around him.
England’s manager, after weeks of discreetly letting it be known that those raking, eye-of-the-needle, 50- and 60-yard, defender-destabilising passes did not compensate for a potentially suspect temperament, appears to be listening.
In a world of beige central midfielders specialising in neat, short, tidy sideways manoeuvres, his ability to really hurt opponents provides a welcome splash of shocking pink.
Accordingly Southgate is giving serious consideration to including him in his 23-man squad to be named next month. Given that the 26-year-old won the last of six caps in November 2015 and England’s party is set to be announced before the June friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica, his inclusion would represent a dramatic late change of heart.
Benítez also has, albeit almost imperceptibly, shifted his stance on Shelvey in the wake of the former Charlton, Liverpool and Swansea midfielder experiencing an apparent epiphany following that red card against Tottenham.
Admittedly a player who has benefited immeasurably from a decision to hire a personal psychologist, was sent off during a home defeat by Everton in December for a second bookable offence but he has collected only four yellow cards all season and none in the past 12 games. “Teams try and provoke me into reacting but I just block it out now,” says Shelvey. “My mindset’s changed.”
Although it took time to regain Benítez’s trust and he spent the autumn struggling to oust Mikel Merino from playmaking duties on Tyneside, he has started virtually every game since the new year, his partnership with Mo Diamé playing an integral role in Newcastle’s collection of 22 points from a possible 36.
Along the way there have been plenty of those perfectly calibrated, defence‑splitting balls, delivered with both Shelvey’s preferred right and supposedly weaker left foot, as well as several man‑of‑the‑match performances.
If his total eclipse of Paul Pogba as Manchester United were beaten 1-0 at St James’ Park proved a particular highlight, the sheer variety of that passing range and his superior vision have served as a reminder that the Londoner’s football intelligence is appreciably higher than sometimes rather snobbish critics care to imagine.
After all Shelvey’s unerringly accurate, high-energy assessment of passing angles has helped Newcastle banish their once-acute relegation worries courtesy of four straight victories, the last at Arsenal’s expense last Sunday.
“If Jonjo goes to the World Cup, he can be a great player,” says Benítez. “Jonjo’s different from the players England already have and he can do a lot of things. He would be good in Russia. Jonjo’s focused at the moment but I think he’d be even better at a tournament like the World Cup. I think he’d stay really focused. If Jonjo’s part of things for a few weeks he can be a very important player. I think we can forget about his past.”
The fairly recent past includes a £100,000 FA fine and five-game ban after he was found guilty of racially abusing the Wolves midfielder Romain Saïss during Newcastle’s ascent to the Championship title last season. Shelvey – accused of calling the Moroccan “a smelly Arab” – continues to vehemently deny the offence.
Benítez, privately unimpressed by the Football Association’s handling of the case, offered him staunch support. Indeed in some ways the furore arguably helped to bond these ostensibly unlikely soul-mates.
Along the way the Spaniard has succeeded in teaching Shelvey to ration those Pirlo-esque passes from his deep holding midfield role, to learn when they might lead to dangerous concessions of possession.
Shelvey’s penchant for Hollywood balls can create a sense of tactical anarchy, rather like those of his hero, and former next-door neighbour on Merseyside, Steven Gerrard. This tendency has not always sat well with a manager as wedded to carefully controlled systems as Benítez but, needing each other, the pair have made conscious efforts to ensure their relationship works. “Rafa’s so detailed,” says Shelvey. “I’ve learnt so much from him. Tactically I’ve got a lot, lot better.”
Benítez is justifiably proud of his protege’s improvement. “Jonjo’s technically good,” he says. “When he plays well the team plays better. He can do the difficult things, he’s a very good passer who can deliver the final ball under pressure and set the tempo. Jonjo can control games.”
He might also electrify England but that is Southgate’s call.
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