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Shelvey admits he could have added to England

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Image for Shelvey admits he could have added to England

Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has admitted that he “could have added something to England” after being omitted from the Three Lions’ squad for this summer’s World Cup.

The Magpies mainstay – who moved from Swansea City in 2016 – was left out of Gareth Southgate’s side for the tournament in Russia, despite an excellent season on Tyneside, and insisted he could have been a game changer .

“I could have brought something to the team, but I am not going to sit here and criticise the people that were playing, because they did fantasically well,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports.

When asked about whether the door is still open with England, the United midfielder said: “Yes, I’d say so – that’s my goal, there is nothing better than playing for your country. I have just got to work hard this year, keep my head down and try my hardest to get there.”

OPINION

Jonjo Shelvey has been an excellent player for Newcastle since he arrived on Tyneside, and he has visibly been the kingpin in the United midfield over the past couple of seasons. His presence in that area of the pitch is key to the team’s success, because without him, they would be lacking in that role. He was unlucky not to have earned a call-up to the England side this summer as he was clearly one of Newcastle’s stand out players in the 2017/2018 campaign, and like he said, he would have added something to the team. Even though England had Jordan Henderson in the centre of midfield, they still lacked that final pass, and that is something Shelvey would have been able to provide. He demonstrates that time and time again for his team, who would miss the 26-year-old’s contribution should he be sidelined with injury. However, he has the chance to prove to Southgate that he is worth picking – and with new signing Ki Sung-Yueng potentially featuring alongside him, he could not have a better chance of doing that.

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