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Jonjo Shelvey has made it clear he wants to stay at Newcastle United and get the club back into the Premier League.

The Londoner revealed how he scrapped plans for a summer holiday and worked with personal trainer to shed some weight.

And a ship-shape looking Shelvey has been catching the eye at the club’s pre-season training camp in Dublin.

Shelvey ended last season on the bench after Rafa Benitez made big changes just a couple of weeks into his stint in charge.

The former Liverpool midfielder said: “I want to play as much as possible, I want to be a regular starter.

“It hurt me last year. I didn’t show it, I was very professional and took it on the chin.

“There will be times when you aren’t playing.

“Hopefully I can start this season and we can get back up to the Premier League.”

Shelvey also spoke about his summer of fitness and told NUFC TV: “I have lost six or seven kilos since last season.

“I didn’t really have a summer holiday, I went away for a week, and come back and five weeks with a personal trainer trying to get myself in decent nick for the season to give myself the best chance to come and play.

“It was just what I needed to do.”

And reflecting on United’s week so far in Ireland, he indicated that there wasn’t enough team bonding last season as the club tumbled out of the Premier League, he added: “It has been tough training wise, but the weather has been good for us.

“It has been a good trip to be fair, everything is on site so you don’t have to get a coach in to get places and it’s a lovely place to come and stay.

“We had a fun activity day so it has been good.

“It has been about getting team bonding and team spirit together.

“We needed to do that. There wasn’t enough of that last year so fingers crossed we can get more stuff done like that.

“It has benefited us and you can see it on the training pitch.”