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Why Jonjo Shelvey could be the bolter in England's World Cup squad

Why Jonjo Shelvey could be the bolter in England's World Cup squad

There is often room for a late bolter to reach England's World Cup squad, and Jonjo Shelvey could just be it.

Newcastle made it four wins in a row against Arsenal last weekend, as a campaign which began as a desperate struggle to avoid relegation has developed into a comfortable mid-table finish.

The man at the heart of it has been Shelvey, whose displays in midfield have left England manager Gareth Southgate with something to think about as he prepares to name his World Cup squad.

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Final third passes

Shelvey hit seven accurate long passes in Newcastle's win over Arsenal, more than anyone on the pitch, and they helped execute Rafael Benitez's plan to expose Arsenal's defence with the pace of  Dwight Gayle.

Of English central midfielders in the Premier League, only Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier play more passes into the final third over 90 minutes - and both of them play in sides who dominate possession.

In a side that has spent much of the season in the bottom third, Shelvey has created 33 chances, including two assists. Only Dele Alli and Oxlade-Chamberlain have more, both of whom also play in more advanced midfield roles.

One moment in the game against Arsenal summed it up. Shelvey lost the ball near the halfway line before regaining possession and spraying an inch-perfect pass to Ayoze Perez. "This fella is like a golfer who can pick out the right club when he needs it - if this was Kevin De Bruyne, we would be off our seats," noted Martin Keown.

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Discipline

This has been a black mark against Shelvey's name for some time.  A red card earlier on in the season for a stamp on Dele Alli raised question marks over his ability to curb his aggressive streak, but he has been far more disciplined since then.

Since the start of 2018, Shelvey has not received a yellow card. He now only ranks second-bottom in terms of yellow cards, with two; of English central midfielders, only Jordan Henderson has fewer.

Shelvey also ranks third bottom in terms of fouls conceded (20) despite playing in a two-man midfield where his side spend a lot of time defending.

"You can say anything about disciplinary issues but I had two red cards this season," he said recently. "The first one was very stupid and i feel like I've learned from it."

Risk taking

In the Premier League, Shelvey has made more unsuccessful long passes (148) than any other midfielder. But it shows that he does not lack ambition, and his willingness to spray balls from deep positions could be ideal in unleashing the the pace of Jamie Vardy and Raheem Sterling.

Southgate may see Shelvey as a liability, and judging from his recent team selections - plus picking the likes of Lewis Cook and Jake Livermore - he prefers someone who can recycle possession in midfield.

The 26-year old though, will feel this is his last chance to claim a place on the big international stage and right now, is doing all he possibly can to force his way into Southgate's plans.