Scouting Report – Liverpool Target Jonjo Shelvey

In recent days Charlton’s Jonjo Shelvey has been linked with a move to Liverpool. The 18 year old has also been linked to Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal in the past but the Reds look set to purchase the youngster. So who is Shelvey and why has it been seen as such a coup for Liverpool to beat the rest for his signature?

Shelvey is seen as one of the brightest young prospects in English football, and he burst onto the seen in 2007, captaining and scoring three goals, as England U16s lifted the Victory Shield. Shelvey has gone on to play in many more tournaments at international youth level, winning the Montaigu Tournament in 2008 and then making a scoring debut for England U17s against Estonia in October of that year.

It is at club level though where his talents have been noticed most. During the 2007/08 season, Shelvey was Charlton Under 18s star player as they progressed through the FA Youth Cup. The youngster scored nine goals during the competition and it led to him very quickly being included in then manager Alan Pardew’s first team squad. In April 2008, Shelvey became the youngest player ever to play for Charlton, at just 16 years and 93 days, making his debut against Barnsley at Oakwell in a Championship match. He impressed many on his debut and many Premier League clubs were watching the player’s progress.

He was named the club’s young player of the year last season for his performances in the first team, despite the club’s relegation from the Championship. Last February, a month after scoring his first senior goal for the club against Norwich in the FA Cup, he rejected the overtures of bigger clubs by signing a professional contract with Charlton, keeping him at the club until June 2011. Shelvey has many talents as a player that have made him such a sought after talent. A box to box midfielder, he can play in the hole just behind the striker or as an attacking midfield player and has a good passing range, shooting abilities and physical presence.

Now 18, he has already played over 40 times for Charlton, scoring his first league goal last April against Southampton in a 3-2 victory, and has subsequently scored six more in the past year. In recent days, the Charlton midfielder has been linked to Liverpool, and despite rejecting a move to Chelsea in the past, the player has now agreed to join the Reds next season according to skysports.com. The website believes that the player will have a medical at the club this week and will stay with Charlton until the end of the season before joining up with the Reds in the summer. Let’s hope that the youngster lives up to expectations.

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