da leao： Jonjo Shelvey has been a bit of an enigma over the course of the past few years.
da stake casino： Undoubtedly talented, the 23-year-old midfielder has been questioned for his on-field discipline and commitment, which eventually led to his Liverpool exit in 2013 after joining the club as a teenager from Charlton Athletic.
He has since flourished in the south of Wales with Swansea, settling into Garry Monk’s midfield and justifying the hype that he generated during his teenage years.
His rise in the white shirt at the Liberty Stadium was capped with a re-call to the England side for the recent EURO 2016 qualifiers, with Roy Hodgson opting to start him against Switzerland and San Marino – where he was one of the Three Lions’ more impressive performers.
There have been no links as of yet, but perhaps Liverpool could now be regretting their decision to cast Shelvey aside.
Many big European clubs sell players on only to buy them back, so the possibility of the midfielder heading to Anfield once again cannot be completely ruled out, and here are FIVE reasons a move next year could make sense…
One of England’s brightest talents
From being a somewhat reckless central midfielder, Shelvey has really blossomed under the guidance of Garry Monk. The 23-year-old has added a real sense of discipline to his game, with the acts of petulance – as shown when he ranted at Sir Alex Ferguson when sent off for Liverpool against Manchester United – and his often wayward positioning having bee ironed out. In fact, there is an argument to suggest that he’s England’s most promising central player, with rivals such as Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley and Fabian Delph all possessing weaknesses ranging from fitness concerns right through to a lack of playing time at club level.
Versatility in midfield
Through the early stages of his career Shelvey was often deployed as a more advanced central midfielder, but as he’s matured he’s grown more comfortable sitting a little deeper. Although by no means a defensive shield, the former Charlton Athletic youth prodigy can operate as one of a more reserved central midfield two, which could be of use at Liverpool with James Milner and Jordan Henderson Brendan Rodgers’ favoured pairing behind an attacking midfield three.
That said, he could be used in a more advanced role should Rodgers bring him back, with Shevley’s range of passing and power on the ball useful tools around the edge of the box.
Has matured
There’s no denying that Shelvey’s game has settled down. Perhaps in his younger years he got carried away with his own hype, and last season’s comments from Monk surrounding “laziness” on the pitch seem to have really hit home. Now Shelvey is more of a calming influence in midfield, which is a far cry from the all-action, whirlwind flying around the pitch, fighting fires and getting into trouble – both in terms of positioning and in a disciplinary sense.
Now he could fit into a Rodgers team, with the youngster’s apparent lack of game intelligence during the one season they spent together perhaps the biggest issue
A goal threat
Although by no means prolific Shelvey does carry a certain goal threat. The majority of the midfielder’s work is done in the centre of the pitch, recycling the ball and feeding attackers, but he does have a penchant for the spectacular when it comes to scoring. His effort against Aston Villa in 2014 springs to mind, with Shelvey controlling a poor Ron Vlaar clearance before half-volleying the ball over a stranded Brad Guzan.
The youngster has nine league goals to his name for Swansea, which is a fairly respectable tally over the course of just over two seasons given his age
Point to prove
Should Shelvey return to Anfield, he would surely come back with a point to prove. During his time at the club Liverpool were, arguably, at their lowest ebb in recent memory and some fans were critical of his hot-headedness and tendency to wander from his set position.
In truth a move to a club of the Reds’ stature probably came too soon for Shelvey, who has been able to mature at Swansea out of the spotlight and under the guidance of a manager who has had time to work with him. Should he head back to Merseyside, the London-born star could be in a better place to compete for a starting berth and use the experience gained at the Liberty Stadium to illustrate his progress.