Jonjo Shelvey is out of contract in 2023 and Read Newcastle previously predicted the 30-year-old was at risk of being offloaded next summer as Eddie Howe will be upgrading the squad every transfer window, but Shelvey’s recent body transformation could earn himself a new deal.
The England international revealed over the summer that he’s lost a lot of weight and worked hard to get more athletic to prove his worth to Howe. The 30-year-old made 24 Premier League appearances last season and was a regular when fit, but he knows he’s not indispensable.
Shelvey have competition from Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton, and he’d be at risk of losing his place if Howe signed another midfielder. But he’s taken matters into his own hands by getting his body right ahead of the new season, so he may have a future in the North-East.
Paddy Kenny was full of praise for the England international, calling him a ‘real leader’ and saying he’s shown ‘great professionalism’ for improving himself despite being in the eve of his career. He told Football Insider: “It’s hard to lose any sort of weight as a footballer, especially when you’re getting older.
“But to lose that much means he’s really put the work in over the summer. He’s buying into everything Howe wants. The penny has dropped for him that he needs to be leaner, stronger, fitter, quicker, more athletic if he’s going to keep his place in the Newcastle side.
“It shows great professionalism. I’m sure Howe is over the moon with the reaction from Shelvey and the rest of his players. I’m sure he’s taking everything into account, and Shelvey has shown real leadership by taking control of his destiny at the football club like that.”
Shelvey joined Newcastle from Swansea City in 2016 and has gone on to make 197 appearances in all competitions, scoring 18 goals with 25 assists.
In other news, Eddie Howe given warning over Newcastle striker problem
