Source: PA
Hodgson tells Shelvey to keep working
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has urged young midfielder Jonjo Shelvey to learn from his more experienced team-mates in order to become a Barclays Premier League star of the future.
The highly-rated 18-year-old was signed from Charlton late last season for £1.7million, which could rise to £3million.
He was fast-tracked into the first-team squad thanks to Hodgson's decision to use fringe players in the Europa League. That has led the England youth international making four Premier League substitute appearances. And while he has yet to really make his mark at this level Hodgson believes he has the quality to succeed.
"I haven't thought when Jonjo Shelvey plays a good game that it lifts him above Raul Meireles, Lucas Leiva or Christian Poulsen because they are good players too," said the Reds boss.
"What is good to see is that a young player we have invested money in is proving to be worth his money and is proving to be the future prospect we think he is.
"He is a confident young man but he's modest and he knows there is a lot of work to be done before he can hold his hand up and say 'Look at me, what a good Premier League player I am'. In players like Steven Gerrard, in particular, and also Poulsen, Meireles and Lucas he has people he can look at and say 'That's the benchmark'."
