Former Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has some words of advice for potential transfer targets.
Shelvey joined Newcastle United from Swansea in January 2016 and went on to make 202 appearances for the club.
He was briefly part of Eddie Howe’s rebuild at St James’ Park but ended up leaving in January 2023.
While much of his time on Tyneside was difficult, Shelvey has fond memories of his Newcastle career.
Now, he’s keen to explain to potential transfer targets just how special playing for the club really is.
Jonjo Shelvey wants more players to sign for Newcastle United
Speaking to the BBC, the 33-year-old stressed that players simply will not understand what representing Newcastle is like until they actually do so.
During the window, Newcastle missed out on several key transfer targets and much was made about their lack of pulling power.
That always felt like a harsh reading of the situation. Newcastle went for some top players who simply decided to move to other leading clubs. There is no great shame in that.
Shelvey said: “There’s this debate about whether Newcastle are able to attract the big players compared to the Manchester clubs and the London clubs but, until you go there, you don’t understand what it does to you.
“There are loads of things to do. I don’t care what anyone says. If players are going to listen to this, it’s a no-brainer to go there and play football.
“You will not find love at a football club like I found at Newcastle, with how they take to their players and how much they back you.”
Who does Jonjo Shelvey play for now?
The former England international had a brief spell at Burnley last season but was not kept on following their promotion to the Premier League.
Earlier this month, Shelvey joined UAE-based side Arabian Falcons in the Second Division League.
The midfielder, however, has denied he’s moved there for the money. In fact, he’s claimed his brother earns more than him by working in a London hotel.
He revealed: “I’ve since seen a few things like ‘he’s gone there for money’. I’m thinking ‘what money? There’s no money in the UAE Second Division League’.
“The ballpark of the standard wage here is £2,000-a-month for a footballer.
“In terms of what I’ve earned throughout my career, that’s nothing.
“My brother earns more working in a hotel in London, so it was never about coming here for the money.”
Shelvey was a great player at a difficult time in Newcastle’s history, and, without him, the club may never have lasted in the Premier League before the PIF takeover in 2021.
His career path has been slightly strange since leaving but there’s little doubt he played a huge role in the immediate pre-takeover era at Newcastle United.
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