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on the pitch?’ A few weeks later Newcastle were playing Spurs and right in front of the referee he stamps on Alli and gets sent off. Spurs went on to win the game easily and you couldn’t stop people pointing the blame for the defeat at Shelvey.”

Last season he was banned for five games after being found guilty of racially abusing Wolves player Romain Saiss.

As Shelvey, 25, who has been seeing a psychologist to help tame his demons, prepares to face Southampton this afternoon, Macdonald added: “It doesn’t matter how good a player you are. The manager, the coaches, his team-mates and the crowd are all going to be watching him and saying, ‘Can we trust him?’

“But of course he has that ability to supply the killer pass.”

A defence splitting ball to Joselu helped secure a point for Newcastle in their last game against Liverpool – something a predictable England side have been lacking in recent matches.

Macdonald is confident Shelvey can replicate that invention on the international stage – if he can gain the England manager’s trust.

He said: “He can play – there’s no doubt about that. But an international football manager will take one look at the lad and say, ‘Is he going to let me down? Is he going to let his country down?’ You can’t take that risk.”

Macdonald says it was not a coincidence that Liverpool and Swansea allowed such a naturally gifted player to move on. He added: “Everyone knows Jonjo has a weak spot. Players are going to wind him up. Stick elbows in his chest. They’re going to pop him on the nose.

“They’re going to stick their studs down his legs – and they know they will get a reaction from him.

“The best way to get his own back is by sticking the ball in the net or by delivering the killer pass.”