Shelvey’s superb lofted ball set up Joselu for United’s opener as the two sides played out a 2-2 draw at the KCOM Stadium, while the midfielder came close to finding the net himself midway through the first half, only to see a sweetly-struck free kick palmed away by Hull’s David Marshall.
He was one of just a handful of players to start both halves for the Magpies on Humberside, before being replaced by ex-Swansea City teammate Ki-Sung Yeung after 70 minutes – the South Korean’s first taste of action in a United shirt.
Notwithstanding his key contribution, Shelvey was frank in his assessment of his own display, and acknowledged that the Magpies will have to raise their game as a group when they head to Portugal to take on FC Porto and SC Braga later this week.
“I did alright. I’ve probably got another ten or 20 per cent to get to, but that’s what playing games will do,” he told nufc.co.uk. “Everyone knows that I can pass the ball, but I’ve got to do the other side of the game – you obviously get judged on goals and assists, and that’s what I’ve got to add more to my game this season. I didn’t get enough goals or assists last year, so that’s what I’ll be trying to work on this year.
“That result tonight, equalising late, was probably more for the fans – results really don’t matter to us at the moment. Obviously we want to win games, but the main thing was the performance, which I thought was OK in patches. There’s still a lot of work we’ve got to do. We’ve got a young squad, but there’s still a good few weeks until the start of the season, and hopefully we can improve and kick on.
“We started the game well, got ahead, and then had two free kicks, where one of myself or Matty probably should have scored. It always unsettles the team, if you like, when you make a load of changes, but that’s what pre-season’s about – getting your minutes in. And luckily we managed to nick a draw at the end.
“Going to Portugal, it’s about adding to the performances we’ve put in in the last two games. Obviously, the opposition is going to be a lot tougher than it was tonight – no disrespect to Hull – but that’s part and parcel of football. And as a footballer, you want to play against those sorts of teams and test yourself against the best players, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Shelvey rounded off with a word of praise for new boy Ki – whose corner led to Ayoze Pérez restoring parity with less than five minutes left to play.
“He’s probably learnt that off me!” he joked. “But no, Ki’s a fantastic player. He’s getting used to the city, getting used to the club. I’ve been chaperoning him ‘round the club the last couple of days, but he’s a top player and he’ll bring something to this team – without a shadow of a doubt.”
