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Jonjo Shelvey (now managing Arabian Falcons)

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Elbel1

Elbel1

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Mahoneys Tache said:

Because he earns in a week what most of us earn in a year. 

I get that, but last season he was playing in The Turkish Suoer Lig and made a couple of appearances for Burnley in their promotion run in. 

Surely he could be playing for a team that don't have meals supplied by their sponsors (Nandos) 

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Mahoneys Tache

Mahoneys Tache

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, Elbel1 said:

I get that, but last season he was playing in The Turkish Suoer Lig and made a couple of appearances for Burnley in their promotion run in. 

Surely he could be playing for a team that don't have meals supplied by their sponsors (Nandos) 

I suppose he’s lining up a comfortable retirement. 

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Menace

Menace

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 07/10/2025 at 18:59, Mahoneys Tache said:

Because he earns in a week what most of us earn in a year. 

 

No he doesn't. UAE top league doesn't even match EPL wages. Let alone third division.

 

 

Edited by Menace

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TRon

TRon

Posted
Posted
On 07/10/2025 at 19:13, Elbel1 said:

I get that, but last season he was playing in The Turkish Suoer Lig and made a couple of appearances for Burnley in their promotion run in. 

Surely he could be playing for a team that don't have meals supplied by their sponsors (Nandos) 

 

 

Would be interesting to know what other offers he had. Can't have been many if he ended up playing at that level. He never struck me as the type who would want to go somewhere like that for the lifestyle, but who knows. 

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TRon

TRon

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, BlueStar said:

Plus imagine how much sunscreen he'd need to slap on in Dubai.

 

 

Even the sun would probably stay clear of that ghostly skin, it's impervious to daylight. 

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Elliottman

Elliottman

Posted
Posted (edited)

Class that 

 

Edit - for anyone who doesn’t want to read the link

 

 

Jonjo Shelvey had missed penalties before.

But footage of this particular spot-kick went viral after the Arabian Falcons captain failed to hit the target against Al Fath.

Shelvey estimated there were only 75 supporters watching the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Second Division League game earlier this month.

It was a far cry from the crowds the former England international was used to during previous spells at Newcastle United, Liverpool, Swansea City and others.

However, the midfielder insisted he "could not care less" after a clip of his miss at Jebel Ali Shooting Club racked up a million views on social media.

"It doesn't bother me," he said. "I've since seen a few things like 'he's gone there for money'. I'm thinking 'what money? There's no money in the UAE Second Division League'.

"The ballpark of the standard wage here is £2,000-a-month for a footballer. In terms of what I've earned throughout my career, that's nothing. 

"My brother earns more working in a hotel in London, so it was never about coming here for the money."

So why did Shelvey end up playing in the third tier in the UAE?

'I'd never wear a watch in London any more'

Shelvey, in his own words, had been "doing nothing for two months".

Following an unsuccessful trial at Hull City the free agent suffered a hamstring injury, which complicated his prospects of securing a summer move.

But Arabian Falcons manager Harry Agombar reached out to ask his childhood friend to move out to Dubai to help "grow the club".

Though Shelvey's family had long been settled on Tyneside - even after he left Newcastle in 2023 - the father-of-three saw it as a chance to embark on a "fresh start".

"I've had my time," the Londoner said. "I'm happy and content. I'm just at the stage now where I want to enjoy football. It's about waking up, enjoying what I do and spending time with my family.

"If I'm honest, I don't want my children growing up in England any more. We're very lucky that we lived in a nice part of the UK but where I'm from, originally, you can't have nice things in my opinion.

"I'd never wear a watch in London any more. You can't have your phone out in London, in my view."

About 80,000 mobile phones were stolen in London last year, according to the Metropolitan Police, and there have been some high-profile instances of theft in the capital in the past 12 months.

Ex-Formula One driver Jenson Button and wife Brittny had a case filled with £250,000 worth of valuables snatched outside St Pancras station in February, while thieves stole more than £10m worth of bespoke jewellery from socialite Shafira Huang after breaking into her St John's Wood home back in December.

But the Met says personal robbery has been reduced by 13% and theft is down 14% in London so far this year.

"I'm not massive on reading politics," Shelvey said. "I just see some of the things that go on.

"I see people getting arrested for tweeting and, then, all of the flags and 'taking back the country'.

"I'm not going to sit here and comment on things like that because I'm not clever enough to, and I'll get myself into trouble if I carry on, but I just feel that the UK isn't what it was 10 to 15 years ago."

Finding love at Newcastle

That is not meant as a slight on the community Shelvey has left behind.

Though Shelvey has uprooted from the UK, the 33-year-old said the north east was "the only place there he would want to live".

"There's this debate about whether Newcastle are able to attract the big players compared to the Manchester clubs and the London clubs but, until you go there, you don't understand what it does to you," he said.

"There are loads of things to do. I don't care what anyone says. If players are going to listen to this, it's a no-brainer to go there and play football.

"You will not find love at a football club like I found at Newcastle, with how they take to their players and how much they back you."

Shelvey spent longer at Newcastle than any other side - seven years in total following his move from Swansea City - and said he was "honoured" to have represented the club and worn the captain's armband on occasion.

As well as sticking around following relegation, in 2016, and playing his part in taking Newcastle straight back up, Shelvey also helped ensure the club then stayed in the top flight.

He even scored what proved to be a "massive" goal against Leeds United as Newcastle started to pull away from danger three and a half years ago.

It ended up proving a turning point in head coach Eddie Howe's reign.

"If I had not scored that, the club would have gone down!" he said. "I'm joking. Looking back at it, you don't realise how big a goal it was and, to be fair, the keeper [Illan Meslier] chucked one in for us. I scuffed the life out of it.

"But I've only got good things to say about my time at Newcastle. I loved it. Even when I first got the call about going there, I drove 12 hours from Swansea because of the traffic. I just wanted to get up there, get my medical done and get signed. 

"I had experienced playing against Newcastle at St James' Park and you get a real buzz, but you never understand how big the club is until you are there."

 

 

Edited by Elliottman

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