Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has revealed that it is ‘hard’ to be out of action having been sidelined through injury since early 2019.
The 26-year-old hasn’t featured since Newcastle’s FA Cup clash with Blackburn in January thanks to a niggling thigh injury which has limited him to just 12 appearances this season.
Newcastle announced on Wednesday that Shelvey has returned to first team training as he steps up his recovery, and the former Liverpool and Swansea midfielder has discussed the frustrations of his season to date.
“I went away in the summer and got myself even fitter to be honest with you and came back to pre-season and then that happens,” Shelvey told NUFC TV.
“You’re in and out and it’s hard to get that momentum, to manage the pain.
“I was literally just hobbling around the pitch and I can’t give the best account of myself for this football club and for myself so I needed to take the time off.
“It’s been hard and the manager said to me to just nip it in the bud and get it sorted but I just wanted to keep playing and playing and playing.
“I eventually learnt my lesson to nip it in the bud and it’s been six weeks now since I kicked a football.
“Coming out here and starting to re-integrate with the team just brings a smile to your face.”
Shelvey has had some of his treatment in Barcelona, but he has joined up with his teammates in Newcastle’s warm weather training camp in La Finca, and has said that his absence has made him realise that he shouldn’t play through the pain in the future.
“It’s hard [not being involved],” he added.
“You’re literally going into training every day and you’re seeing the lads smiling and training outside and running around and that.
“It was probably my fault in the first place why I’ve been out so long.
“I should have nipped it in the bud and took a few weeks in pre-season to get it right but the way I am, I just want to play football and go through the pain barrier.
“Sometimes you have to think about yourself and look after your body and that’s something I realised over the last four or five weeks.”
