‘My face didn’t fit England’ – Shelvey
FORMER Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey does not look out for England squads anymore because he’s convinced Gareth Southgate ‘thinks my face doesn’t fit’ – after the Newcastle United star previously got his hopes up of playing at the 2018 World Cup.
The 28-year-old has not played for the Three Lions for nearly four-and-a-half years and his six caps have all come under former manager Roy Hodgson.
Ahead of the World Cup in Russia, Shelvey finished the season strongly – making a conscious effort to improve his discipline but he was not included in Southgate’s 23-man squad.
The playmaker has opened up about that disappointment in an interview with In the Box after selecting team-mates Martin Dubravka, Paul Dummett, Jack Colback and Dwight Gayle in his dream XI from players he has played with over the years.
“I thought if I ever had a chance of going to a major tournament, that was the chance,” he said.
“My family were getting phone calls from TV companies saying, ‘Can we come out and interview you because he’s in it?’ It got my hopes up.
“I was in Portugal playing golf because the season was finished and I looked on the phone when the squad got announced and I didn’t even get a phone call to say why you’re not in it.
“I wouldn’t have minded if he had rung me and said this is the reason why you’re not in, but it never happened.
“People say, ‘Why are you unhappy because you’re on a golf course playing golf in bright sunshine and you’ve got six-eight weeks off?’ But it’s England. You want to play football for your country.
“I’ve played for my country and sang the national anthem at Wembley and, honestly, it’s the best feeling. It’s up there with your kids being born. It’s unreal.
“But I just felt that was it over and I thought he obviously doesn’t like me and thinks my face doesn’t fit so it’s never going to happen.
“So I’ve never given it a thought. Even when the squads come out, I don’t even look at them. I don’t even watch the England games anymore. It doesn’t interest me now.
“I used to be so ‘support your country’ and all that, but I felt if they did take me, for the last 20 minutes of a game, I could come on and do something.
“It wasn’t to be. They did very well in the tournament, anyway and you’re happy because you’ve got mates who have played for England, but I felt that I deserved to go. If it was going on form, then I felt I should have been there. But it’s obviously not based on form, is it?”