Shelvey impresses teammates on debut

Posted Tuesday, January 19, 2016 by foxsportsasia.com

Shelvey impresses teammates on debut
Newcastle United players Moussa Sissoko and Georinio Wijnaldum were full of praise for new signing Jonjo Shelvey after his debut on Saturday.

Shelvey, who signed from Swansea City in a reported £12million deal last week, started the match and was a constant presence throughout their 2-1 win over West Ham, especially in the build up to Wijnaldum's goal.

"He is a really good signing for us. For me, his style is very similar to Steven Gerrard's, because he can play the long ball easily, he can get on the second balls," Sissoko told Sky Sports.

The win lifted the Magpies out of the relegation zone for the first time since mid-December and they are now two points ahead of Shelvey's former club Swansea. Although the Swans do have a game in hand which they play against Watford on Monday night.

Wijnaldum believes Shelvey's inclusion in the squad will be a big asset in Newcastle's fight against relegation this season.

"He brings football. We already know he is a good player because I played against him," he said. "We are all happy he is here because he can bring more football to the team," the Dutch forward added.

The Magpies have been very active during the winter transfer window already, having also added midfielder Henri Saivet to their ranks and are reportly in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a potential transfer of Andros Townsend.