As Jonjo Shelvey trudged off the St James' Park turf 83 minutes into the first game of the new regime 13 months ago, just 23 minutes after coming off the bench, it looked like it could be a costly red card for him and his Newcastle United career.
Many thought that was that, the ball-playing midfielder was at risk of being one of the first players out the door when the inevitable big-name signings arrived in the months to come. After all Shelvey has, at times, flattered to deceive during his Newcastle spell.
Unplayable at times, the former Liverpool man single-handedly dominated teams during Newcastle's Championship season and has since excelled in games when his side have enjoyed more of the ball than their opponents. Though his energy and fitness levels were called into question at times.
