Former Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey completes shock UAE move
Jonjo Shelvey played 202 times for Newcastle but has been a free agent since leaving Burnley in the summer.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has completed a shock move to United Arab Emirates lower league side Arabian Falcons.
The 33-year-old had been without a club since leaving Burnley in the summer, having joined the Clarets on a short-term contract following his departure from Turkish Super Lig side Rizespor. Shelvey made just four appearances for Burnley across all competitions, clocking up only 11 minutes in their Championship promotion campaign.
The six-time England international trialled for Hull City in the summer, but the Tigers opted against offering him a contract, meaning his last competitive appearance came against Preston North End in the FA Cup at the start of March.
Jonjo Shelvey moves to UAE
Now, Shelvey will continue his career in the United Arab Emirates third tier with Arabian Falcons, who announced his signing on Saturday. The Falcons are managed by former Swindon Town, Barnet and Macclesfield Town midfielder Harry Agombar, who has already given Shelvey his debut - where he provided an assist in a 3-3 draw against Baynounah in their first league match of the season.
Only founded in 2023, the Falcons were promoted from the UAE fourth tier in their first season and have high-profile commercial partnerships with companies like Nandos and Flannels. Shelvey is yet to make public comment on his move to the Middle East and hasn’t posted on his Instagram profile since April.
The veteran isn’t the only former Newcastle player to have been on the free agent market this summer, with the likes of Fraser Forster, Javier Manquillo and Jamal Lewis all currently looking for new clubs - the latter being released by the Magpies at the end of his contract in July.
How many games did Jonjo Shelvey play for Newcastle United?
Shelvey has represented a host of clubs throughout his career, including Liverpool, Swansea City and Charlton Athletic. But it was his time with Newcastle that was arguably most successful, making 202 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions between 2016 and 2023 - at least 106 more than any other side in his career.
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Shelvey registered 18 goals and 25 assists during that time, while he was part of the club’s 2016/17 EFL Championship-winning side, offering up five goals and nine assists during that promotion campaign. Injuries eventually saw Shelvey fall down the pecking order at St. James’ Park and he left to join Nottingham Forest in January 2023.
“It was hard leaving but I can’t say I regret leaving. I’m happy for whatever they [Newcastle] do. I hope they win the final and get into Europe,” Shelvey told The Guardian shortly after leaving, referencing Newcastle’s ultimately unsuccessful EFL Cup final clash against Manchester United.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said of Shelvey’s departure: "It wasn't a decision I wanted to take. It wasn't a premeditated decision for me to say, 'let's do this and take this risk'. It was 99% out of my hands that Jonjo was going to leave. We sort of feel a bit of a hole left with his presence gone. But it's happened and now we have to make the best of the situation."
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