Swansea’s decision to sell the England midfielder to their relegation rivals for £12m could be a final opportunity for a player who has struggled for consistency

“High maintenance? Nah!” said Garry Monk. Fresh from a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the opening fixture of the Premier League season in August, the Swansea City manager had just been asked about Jonjo Shelvey.

The player who grew up in a council flat in Harold Hill in Romford was the star of the show that day, dominating the midfield against Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fàbregas and showcasing his superb range of passing. As José Mourinho lost his rag next door over his medical team’s decision to run on the pitch to treat Eden Hazard in the dying moments of the game, Monk was a picture of calm as he leaned against the wall of Chelsea’s press room after the match wearing his trademark black jumper.

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“Jonjo’s still a young player, which you forget about with him because he looks a lot older,” said Monk with a smile.

“We got his father in and his agent in and we all had a good chat – we want the best for all the players at the club. Jonjo is one of those characters that needs to push himself on. I said a few things last season to see what reaction I might get and I’m glad to say I got the right reaction. He went away for the summer and has come back with a good attitude and hopefully we will see an even better Jonjo now.

“He realises how serious it is at this level and what type of player he can be. It’s all right me wanting it for him but he has to want it for himself.”

A little more than five months on, Monk and Mourinho have gone. On Tuesday night, Shelvey was introduced to the supporters at St James’ Park as a Newcastle player. Despite being named in all of Roy Hodgson’s England squads so far this season and taking his tally of caps to six, the 23-year-old was sold to Swansea’s relegation rivals for just £12m – not exactly a fortune these days for a current international. So where did it all go wrong?

Shelvey’s reaction to criticism from supporters after the FA Cup defeat by Oxford on Sunday, when he appeared to offer to meet one fan in the car park to resolve their differences, proved to be the final straw for him at Swansea. With the Welsh side short of transfer funds to bring in a much-needed striker as they desperately try to survive in the Premier League before next season’s TV money bonanza, he was seen as expendable.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jonjo Shelvey got into a dispute with fans at the final whistle of Swansea City’s FA Cup defeat against Oxford United Photograph: Huw Evans/REX/Shutterstock

Despite signing a lucrative new contract in the summer and even advertising for a live-in chef on a salary of £65,000 to help him prepare properly, the writing had been on the wall for some time. Having done enough to convince Hodgson he was worthy of a place in his England squad three years after winning his first cap while at Liverpool, Shelvey’s form dipped as Swansea went five matches without a win after beating Manchester United at the end of August. A troublesome knee injury forced him to sit out of several training sessions in October while his side continued to plummet down the table.

The departure of Monk at the start of December certainly didn’t help matters. Alan Curtis dropped him to the bench for the matches against West Ham and then against West Brom on Boxing Day, when Swansea recorded only their second win in 14 matches, preferring to recall the club stalwart Leon Britton. Shelvey reportedly did not take the news well and the transfer rumours began to gain momentum.

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Having become Charlton’s youngest-ever player at the age of 16 years and 59 days after starting out in Arsenal’s youth programme, he was sold to Liverpool for an initial £1.7m in April 2010 but grew frustrated after starting only 31 matches in three seasons at Anfield. Swansea spent £6m to bring him to the Liberty Stadium in the summer of 2013 and Newcastle’s outlay now means that clubs have spent a total of almost £20m on Shelvey, who will turn 24 at the end of February. Yet it already feels like this may be his last chance to prove he belongs at the highest level.

“At his age, surely the penny has to drop,” said Alan Shearer when asked about Newcastle’s new signing on BBC 5 Live on Tuesday. “You get a chance in football and you have to take it. He’s had two or three – he has to understand that he will not get a bigger opportunity than he has now at Newcastle. He’s now at a huge football club where the fans will adore him. He hasn’t got another opportunity after this. He has to do it here.”

Shelvey, married with a young child, credited the stability in his personal life for his new mature approach after his England recall in September. But after seeing his older brother George – described by Shelvey as a much better player – fritter away his talent, the time has surely come for him to take his opportunity before it is too late.