Jonjo Shejvey lands managerial role after announcing his retirement from football

Former Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has hung up his boots and taken up a position in the dugout.

Jonjo Shelvey spent the bulk of his career on Tyneside after joining from Swansea following a spell at Liverpool. He made 202 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions, covering a wide range of positions with a wide range of results. But like so many players, he fell in love with the club and the area while he was here.

Often a divisive figure, he was demonised by some sections of the fanbase for being lazy, but on his day, he could pick out a pass better than anyone.

After leaving Newcastle, he moved to Nottingham Forest and then played for two clubs in Turkey before moving to Burnley for half a season and then on to the United Arab Emirates to play for second division (third tier) side Arabian Falcons.

Shelvey takes UAE job 

The 34-year-old has announced his decision to retire from playing football as reported by ESPN, but he remains in the game as he's now taken over in the managerial hotseat at Arabian Falcons, which is co-owned by former Crystal Palace man, Jason Puncheon.

Speaking about his appointment, Shelvey says he has his sights set on big things in management and is looking to prove himself in the UAE.

"I'm excited to take on this challenge and lead the Falcons forward. We have a talented group and a clear vision to achieve promotion and build something special in Dubai. My ambition is to climb to the very top of management and this is the perfect project to prove myself and what I'm capable of."

Will we see Jonjo Shelvey managing in the Premier League?

We definitely admire Shelvey for starting at the bottom and working his way up. We've seen too many former players given big jobs in management based on their playing career, and it hasn't gone well. Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, to name a few. Only Lampard has really made anything of himself by accepting his limitations and dropping down a level.

It feels like a long way from the third tier of the UAE football pyramid to the Premier League, mind, so if Shelvey had any hair, it would probably be very grey by the time he got to the top.

Best of luck to him, though. We'll keep an eye on Arabian Falcons from afar to see how he's getting on. I already have all of their shirts anyway because I'm such a huge fan and had absolutely heard of them before Shelvey went there.