Former footballers are increasingly moving into coaching roles after hanging up their boots, and Jonjo Shelvey is the latest example.
The former Liverpool midfielder has retired from playing and taken over as manager of third-tier UAE side Arabian Falcons FC. The 34-year-old had been with the Dubai-based club since September.
Former Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon is the club’s co-owner and head of football operations. Shelvey began his career at Charlton Athletic and went on to play in the Premier League for Liverpool, Swansea, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
He also had spells with Blackpool (loan), Turkish clubs Çaykur Rizespor and Eyüpspor, and briefly Burnley before moving to the UAE. Shelvey earned six England caps between 2012 and 2016 under Roy Hodgson.
He is already focused on building a team capable of pushing for promotion to the First Division next season. Shelvey has long been open about his coaching ambitions and previously turned down an assistant role at Konyaspor to avoid relocating his family again.
His coaching journey has now started in Dubai, where he initially took charge of training duties while former manager Harry Agombar, his former Arsenal youth teammate, was away.
“Harry went away on holiday because we didn’t have a game and then I literally got asked to just take the training and got a great response from the lads,” he told The National.
“I’d been taking the sessions for about a month before I actually got the job, and after the first day of the training session, the owners approached me and just said ‘We’d like to give you the job.’
“I had just said that I’d only take it if it was OK with Harry because at the end of the day, Harry bought me out here and I owed that out of respect.”
Shelvey added: “Obviously, I’ve known Harry since I was seven, eight years old. So for us to be leading that football club is amazing.”
“I’m in the office all day reviewing training, preparing the next session for tomorrow and so on, and then watching the opposition.”
“I always wanted to stay in football. I’d done a bit of punditry work earlier on this year, enjoyed it, but I knew that probably I needed to be that day-to-day [figure] on the training pitch for me to be given this role.
“I’m really grateful and it’s kept me in the game in terms of being in charge and bringing out the leadership I’ve obviously had from the experience playing. I obviously didn’t realise it would happen so soon.”
Shelvey’s appointment is already showing early promise. The Falcons are unbeaten in their last eight games in the UAE Second Division and sit fourth on 41 points, although they remain 17 points behind leaders Palm City FC.
Shelvey worked under some of the most talented managers in English football, but two in particular have had a lasting influence on how he views the game.
“I always go back to Eddie Howe in terms of his intensity and his level of detail. I’ve tried to sort of take a lot of what he did with Newcastle into this,” he said.
“And also, I’ll have to mention Michael Laudrup when I was at Swansea in terms of the way he plays attacking football. I like the way he played attacking football, and so I’m trying to like sort of get a blend of both of them.”
Shelvey joined Liverpool in 2010 from Charlton Athletic. While he never fully lived up to that billing during his three years at Anfield, he still produced several notable moments before leaving for Swansea City in 2013.
He made his debut as a late substitute in a League Cup defeat to Northampton Town in September 2010 and spent much of his first season coming off the bench.
To gain experience, he was loaned to Blackpool the following campaign, where he impressed with six goals in 10 Championship appearances.
His form earned him a place in Kenny Dalglish’s squad upon his return, and he made his first Premier League start against Aston Villa in December 2011. A month later, he scored his first Liverpool goal in an FA Cup tie against Oldham Athletic.
Shelvey featured in Liverpool’s Europa League run and capped a positive season with a long-range goal in a 4–1 win over Chelsea. After Brendan Rodgers arrived in 2012, he initially remained in the first-team setup and signed a new long-term contract.
However, a red card against Man United and increased midfield competition limited his opportunities. Despite some strong Europa League displays and a winning goal at West Ham, his involvement faded in the second half of the season. He eventually left Liverpool in the summer of 2013, joining Swansea City in search of regular first-team football.