RAFA: HE HAS TO MATURE.. HE MUST NOT REACT

JONJO SHELVEY has been told to “mature” as he faces a backlash at Wolves today.

The Newcastle midfielder served a five-game ban for using racially abusive language in a clash with Romain Saiss during Wolves’ win at St James’ Park in September last year.

Magpies boss Rafa Benitez says the playmaker is “improving” his temperament, and came back fitter from his suspension to lead Newcastle’s promotion charge.

Benitez said: “He’s a very good player who has to grow in terms of being more mature and being more focused on what he can do on the pitch.

“It’s easy to see teams marking him man-to-man and trying to get him out of the game. He has to grow and learn. It’s a question of time.

“He has a lot of challenges now. We knew it would be a great experience for him this year because he’s a player that everybody will try to mark and try to push a little bit to see how he reacts. So he has to learn from that.”

Shelvey has emerged along with Dwight Gayle, who is still out with a hamstring problem, as key players in United’s push.

And Benitez feels there is no reason why he can’t have a future with England if he continues his form: “You don’t see many midfielders who can do what he can do every week.

“He has a great future at international level, I think.

“He came back fitter from his ban because he was supporting the team and thinking, ‘I have to do well, I have to do well.’

“Jonjo has been working hard, and it is an experience for him. It has been positive in some ways.

“Still he can make mistakes, like all of us do, but he has been learning and improving.”