Jamaal Lascelles has admitted that he was 'really sad' to see Jonjo Shelvey leave Newcastle United following a 'poignant' farewell.
Lascelles and Shelvey were team-mates for seven years and key players in the side who not only helped take Newcastle back into the Premier League, in 2017, but also kept the Magpies in the top-flight. Off the field, too, the pair have been influential figures, who kept the dressing room together when it just so easily could have fragmented during some difficult moments over the years.
You can see why Lascelles felt Shelvey's deadline day departure to Nottingham Forest more than most. It was certainly an emotional moment for the Newcastle skipper to see his former team-mate address the group one last time following the Magpies' Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg win against Southampton last week.
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"I was really sad to see Jonjo leave the club on Tuesday," Lascelles wrote in his programme notes. "He came into the dressing room after the game to say his goodbyes and he did a little speech, and it was a poignant moment.
"We've both been part of the group who were there in the Championship and managed to get back into the Premier League. We've been on the journey together and he's our vice-captain for quite a few years so he's going to be a big miss.
"He's been a great player for us and he's such a loyal, trustworthy person. We will be keeping in touch and I wish him all the best - I'm sure he will do really well at Nottingham Forest."
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