Elliot: Squad stays united in desire to help Shelvey

BUT KEEPER STUNNED KANE GOT AWAY WITH HIS RECKLESS LUNGE

Chief Sports Writer ROB Elliot said Jonjo Shelvey’s Newcastle United team-mates will rally around the midfielder in the aftermath of his red card against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Toon goalkeeper hopes Shelvey uses the experience as a learning curve and will be able to focus clearly on the unforgiving Premier League season ahead.

Shelvey’s dismissal means he will be banned until after the international break and will not return to first-team action until September.

The overwhelming verdict from the United dressing room was Shelvey let the team down with his moment of madness as he stamped on Dele Alli.

Newcastle players, though, also feel a sense of injustice because Harry Kane should have been dismissed for a dangerous scissor challenge on Florian Lejeune.

Newcastle are counting the cost of Kane’s vicious tackle on the French defender, who is now struggling to be fit for the weekend trip to Huddersfield Town.

When addressing the Shelvey situation, Elliot said: “He was down and dejected, he knows he messed up. He has held his hands up.

“That does not make it right but that is Jonjo and he has come a long way since he has been here.

“He is working on things with his training regime on and off the pitch.

“He is a great lad and sometimes that passion boils over.

“He has to work with that because he could honestly play for any team he wants. “We are very fortunate we have him here but we have to make him be the best player he is and help take us up the league. “To do that we need him on the pitch. “Hopefully, this is a good learning curve for him and we can get him back out there.” The United players are also furious Kane’s wild lunge on Lejeune only warranted a yellow card considering the damage done. Elliot added: “In today’s game I don’t understand why that is not a red card.