Planet Swans ArchivesShelvey has managed to put himself near the front of the queue of players looking to secure themselves a place in the England squad at Euro 2016 and he will line up for the Swans tomorrow against Stoke knowing that more performances of top quality will make that place in the queue a place in the squad.
It has been a pretty good year for Shelvey who at the end of 2015 looked to be on his way out of Swansea particularly after he picked up a ban for an off the ball incident at his old club. But since returning to the team he has knuckled down and the performances have improved leaving him back in the England squad and adding to his caps on a regular basis.
So it is little wonder that the player has no regrets over leaving Anfield and kick starting his career again at Swansea
“I was proud to be a Liverpool player, but there came a point when I had to ask myself what I wanted to do,†said Shelvey, 23. “For me, I wasn’t really a Liverpool player if I wasn’t in the Liverpool team.
“I didn’t see it as a big decision (to leave), just common sense. I’d got to the point in my career where I needed a consistent run of games if I was going to be the player I wanted to be.
“I always had the confidence in myself to believe that if I played every week then I would be able to get myself to the heights of the England squad.
“I think I’ve proved that – but I need to keep proving it. Maintaining my standards isn’t good enough; I’ve got to get even better.
“It’s nice to be looked at as the main man at Swansea, the player who makes the team tick. It isn’t just about me, of course. I think we’ve got 10 international players in our team now so we have got a really talented group.
“But I am expected to control games from the centre of midfield and I like playing with that responsibility. That was why I had to leave Liverpool – and it has worked out well for me so far.â€
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