MX23RW : Thursday, July 4 19:44:56| >> :120:8440:8440:

Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez backs Jonjo Shelvey for World Cup spot

Benitez backs Shelvey for World Cup spot
© SilverHub
Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez claims that midfielder Jonjo Shelvey could make an impact for England at this summer's World Cup.

Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez has claimed that Jonjo Shelvey is capable of making an impact at the World Cup should he earn a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

Shelvey has spent three years away from the international scene, but the midfielder has played a key role in helping Newcastle move away from the relegation zone in the Premier League.

The playmaker remains an outsider to represent the Three Lions, but Benitez has suggested that he would like to see Shelvey included in the group which travels to Russia.

The 57-year-old is quoted by The Guardian as saying: "If Jonjo had the motivation of the World Cup, I think he'd be great.

"My feeling is that, if he goes to Russia, he can be a great player. It's not my job to talk about what Gareth Southgate has to do but what I like about Jonjo is that he's different from the players England already have and he can do a lot of things.

"It's not my decision but, if you ask me as Newcastle United's manager if Jonjo's a very good player, the answer is 'yes'. He's different and he can be good for any squad."

Shelvey has won a total of six caps for England since making his debut in 2012.

ID:322866: cacheID:322866:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2326:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Interim manager Gareth Southgate watches on during England training on October 4, 2016
Read Next:
Southgate monitoring Tunisia, Panama
>
rhs 2.0
Euro 2024 fixtures header
Friday, July 5
 
5pm
Quarter-Finals
Spain
vs.
Germany
 
8pm
Quarter-Finals
Portugal
vs.
France
Saturday, July 6
 
5pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, July 9
Wednesday, July 10
Sunday, July 14
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!