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.
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Much has been made of Joelinton, Emil Krafth and Miguel Almiron flourishing under Eddie Howe but Shelvey has quietly gone about his business under the Magpies chief and enjoyed a turnaround of his own. Impressive in pre-season, the 30-year-old put in extra work over the summer with a training camp in Turkey.
Newcastle have found life easy enough without him of late but will also be relishing his return to the first-team fold on a more regular basis after brief cameo appearances as of late. Shelvey's return will allow Bruno Guimaraes more of a license in attack and hands Joelinton the chance to cover more ground with a safety net behind him.
An appearance at Southampton on Sunday will see Shelvey make his 200th appearance and subsequently earn a contract extension with the Magpies. The midfielder was only three games away from triggering the clause, worth £3m, in the summer before his injury struggles but will be hoping to secure his future sooner rather than later.
“You’re always playing for a new contract and I’m not thick, I’m not getting younger," Shelvey said over the summer. "I’m 30 years of age and I look about 40! You just want to be part of it.
"The only way for this club is up and a lot of people would want to be in my shoes. The positivity is great around the club. It’s a really good place to be at the minute, the city is buzzing. My missus and kids love it up here.”
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