Popular football pundit Jamie Redknapp has praised Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in his latest column for the Daily Mail.
Redknapp has picked the former Liverpool midfielder as one of the five technically gifted young midfielders who has the magic touch to become a star player for their country.
The high-profile pundit claims that Shelvey is an expert in playing long Hollywood passes, and has the ability to unlock any opposition defence.
However, two major flaws that are holding him back when it comes to consideration for England are his lack of pace, and his temperament.
“Few English midfielders are better than Jonjo at hitting those raking, 50-yard ‘Hollywood’ passes,” Redknapp wrote of Shelvey in the Daily Mail.
“He is a brilliant quarterback and has the ability to unlock any defence. What holds him back when it comes to consideration for England is that he lacks that half a yard of pace you need to succeed on the international stage.
“There are also question marks over his temperament. He needs to have at least 10 brilliant games for Newcastle in the coming months if he wants to add to his six caps. Whether he will have the opportunity to showcase his skills in a team which plays so negatively remains to be seen.”
Shelvey, who is on £70k-per-week wages, is a technically gifted player who is very good at passing. Ideally, he sits deep and sprinkles out passes for the attacking players.
Is he too good for Newcastle or perfect for a mid-table club? Consistency has always been the demon that has prevented Shelvey from reaching the next level.
Newcastle struggle without him as his surgically-precise long passes add another dimension to his game. However, he hardly maintains that consistency over a stretch of games.
On top of that, he has walked the disciplinary tightrope throughout his career which makes it difficult for him to get into the national squad as well.
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