Why Jonjo Shelvey may prove the shrewdest of Nottingham Forest’s 29 signings

Jonjo Shelvey plans to remain in the capital after Nottingham Forest’s game at West Ham this weekend and will watch his former club, Newcastle, take on Manchester United in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

He has even investigated whether he will be eligible for a winner’s medal if Newcastle win at Wembley — and is hopeful he would.

More certain is a friendly reception from the majority of the Newcastle faithful if he is spotted among the crowd following seven years of service in the north east.

Shelvey divided opinion among supporters on Tyneside, but there was always an appreciation of his ability to pick a pass and barely a month after signing for Nottingham Forest, he is beginning to prove popular with his new fanbase.

Steve Cooper has worked with the former Charlton, Liverpool and Swansea player before and knows his character.

As a coach with Liverpool’s under-21s, Cooper had provided the midfielder with game-time on a few occasions as he stepped up his recovery from injury. Shelvey arrived at Forest hampered by a slight calf problem but eager to make an impression. The head coach had to rein him in and urge patience.

“He’s a winner,” said Cooper. “I love midfielders who want the ball. I’ve seen how desperate he has been to train. He has been there and succeeded over a number of years. We know he can more than excel at the level. The type of player he is, we didn’t think we had. He can take the ball under pressure.

“He is a fantastic football personality supported by a really good passing range and technique and conviction of passes.”

Shelvey’s purposeful approach to training has helped win over the Forest dressing room, though the presence of two former Newcastle team-mates — Chris Wood and Jack Colback — will have helped him settle. His enthusiasm has been obvious. From the moment a move to Forest was first mooted, Shelvey was fully invested. He admits he can be an impulsive character and, once sold on the idea, he went to ask Eddie Howe for permission to leave Newcastle in search of a fresh challenge.

Howe was less keen on losing him and initially refused, telling Shelvey to sleep on it. “But the next day, he pulled me and we had a little chat — and he granted my wish,” Shelvey said. “Eddie said he wouldn’t stand in the way of my happiness. It was a decision I had to make for football reasons.

“A big thing was my family and their future. I wanted to come away and play games, to feel part of it much more. I felt I needed a fresh start.”

Those who watch Newcastle regularly believe Shelvey will fit perfectly into a side like Forest, a team that boasts players with pace and power who will benefit from his passing range.

There have been fleeting signs of promise — off the bench at Fulham and in his first Forest start in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City. At Newcastle, he was adept at picking out the runs of Callum Wilson and Dwight Gayle. If he is given time and space, Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi — once restored to fitness — could benefit from his delivery.

Shelvey may not be prolific, but he is a creative threat. Over the past year, he ranks in the top third of Premier League midfielders in terms of average assists (0.10) per 90 minutes and is eager to take shots, both from open play and free kicks. Cooper was keen to be reunited with the 30-year-old predominantly because of his ability on the ball, underlined by his passing stats.

His 6.88 long passes completed per 90 minutes has him in the top nine per cent of Premier League midfielders over the past 12 months. He has attempted 10.43 on average per 90, which again ranks highly (in the top 11 per cent) among his midfield peers, and an average of 4.69 passes into the final third per 90 minutes. Again, that places him in and around the top third of Premier League players in his position.

When Howe was appointed as Newcastle manager in November 2021, there was a perception Shelvey would not be his type of player. But in his first press conference, despite not being asked directly about Shelvey, Howe made a point of saying he was going to be key to Newcastle’s survival.

And so it proved. It was Shelvey’s free kick that earned a 1-0 win at Leeds to kickstart the remarkable upturn in form that has seen Newcastle transformed from a side threatened by relegation to a team competing for Champions League qualification. Shelvey got around the pitch, addressing previous doubts about his mobility. He played in a No 6 role and made a real contribution. His defensive work improved.

This is again reflected in the stats from the past year. His average of 7.30 ball recoveries per 90 minutes places him in the top 21 per cent of top-flight midfielders, while he has summoned an average of 1.46 blocks per 90 minutes (top 24 per cent).

When he goes away in the summer, Shelvey has a habit of taking a fitness coach with him, such is his desire to remain in top condition before preseason training. At Newcastle, there was actually a sense he needed to put some body fat back on when he reported back. His professionalism has never been questioned.

There were other factors involved in Shelvey’s departure from Newcastle.

While Howe was reluctant to lose a reliable midfielder, there was also a clause in the player’s contract that would have seen him earn an extension if he made three Premier League starts this season. The debate within the hierarchy centred on whether prolonging the contract of a player who would have been a peripheral figure — albeit still a valued one — in the squad was a logical step to take.

Shelvey’s career at Newcastle endured its ups and downs. When he joined in January 2016, Newcastle were managed by Steve McClaren and destined for the Championship. He made a positive early impression in a struggling team but then faded. There were those who had anticipated his departure in the summer after relegation had been confirmed.

Instead, Shelvey established himself as a key figure under Rafa Benitez in the second tier. He was the playmaker, contributing five goals and eight assists as Newcastle stormed back into the top flight. Some retained doubts, but most recognised his ability to pick passes others could not.

Shelvey was also a key figure under Steve Bruce, when Newcastle often looked better with his creativity incorporated into their side, even if a lack of a clear plan often drew the focus once more on what Shelvey could not do as opposed to what he was providing.

Regardless, the player was still granted a warm reception at St James’ when he returned to say his goodbyes, walking out onto the pitch during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Southampton on January 31, soon after his departure had been confirmed.

Shelvey bids farewell to the Newcastle support after seven years at the club (Photo: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Shelvey had spoken to former Forest player and long-standing Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles before making the decision to move. But it was Cooper who won him over.

“I see a lot of Eddie (Howe) in Steve Cooper,” he said. “They’re both young, exciting, up-and-coming managers. Eddie spends a lot of time on the training pitch. You’re out training for two and a half hours. You’re constantly doing individual reviews and working on your game, looking at clips and stuff like that. Steve is the same.

“He has been brilliant, very detailed, I have really enjoyed working with him. Eddie had a lot of great, positive things to say about him. He’s a really hands-on manager. That works well for me.”

If, like Howe and Benitez before him, Cooper can squeeze the best out of Shelvey, the midfielder’s arrival could prove to be one of the most astute of Forest’s 29 signings.

(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)