Jonjo Shelvey says he was given a get out of jail free card when he joined Newcastle United - but turned it down.
The former Liverpool midfielder made the move from Swansea City back in January 2015, just a couple of days after getting into an altercation with a Swans fan during an FA Cup defeat to Oxford.
Newcastle were not in a good way at the time, with Steve McClaren struggling to get the side into form and Rafa Benitez ending the season with an undefeated streak that was too little, too late to save them from the drop.
Shelvey told FourFourTwo: "The night before that Oxford game, I knew the deal had been done and I was going to Newcastle.
"I drove up there and never looked back. I was so excited."
Shelvey ended up spending eight years at Newcastle, making over 200 appearances for the club.
Along the way, Shelvey helped the club earn promotion back from the Championship and helped them to re-establish themselves in the Premier League - just like he had hoped.
"Me and Andros Townsend joined in the January window, and they gave me the option to add a relegation clause in my contract so I could leave.
"But I didn’t want that. I was there for the long haul.
"I’d always loved playing at St James’ Park, so I was going there to stay.
"The club paid a lot of money for me, so I felt it was my responsibility to get them back in the Premier League.
"It was the right decision, and I really enjoyed my season in the Championship.
"I loved living in Newcastle and we settled there as a family."
