Jonjo Shelvey says he is loving life under Eddie Howe at Newcastle United and believes his passion for the game is driving the Magpies on.
The Toon star has featured three times in pre-season and will trigger a new contract extension if he can do that again in the Premier League in the opening few weeks of the campaign. Speaking about Howe's enthusiasm, Shelvey feels his obsession with perfection is pushing the club in the right direction.
Shelvey, talking at the end of the club's trip to Austria, said: "He’s constantly on you, reviewing your game, showing you clips.
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"He lives and breathes football and has instilled that into everyone at the club. It’s football, football, football.
"He’s helped me massively defensively. I think last year I was really, really good defensively and it’s not natural for me to have a defensive mind.
"But I feel I’ve developed a lot on that side of the game."
Shelvey also believes that Howe has helped him improve other aspects of his game. The former Liverpool player reflected: "He’s helped me massively defensively.
"I think last year I was really, really good defensively and it’s not natural for me to have a defensive mind. But I feel I’ve developed a lot on that side of the game."
The mood in the city is fantastic going into the new Premier League season. Shelvey added: "The positivity is great around the club. We went through a really bad spell.
"I’ve been here six-and-a-half years now, we know what the craic is around the city and what you can and can’t do. It’s a really good place to be at the minute, the city is buzzing. My missus and kids love it up here."
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