KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Former England international footballer Jonjo Shelvey has moved swiftly from the pitch to the dugout for another quick pivot in Dubai as he takes charge of Arabian Falcons as manager, just months after joining the club as a player.
It is a transition he insists was driven by opportunity rather than necessity, even though the desire was always there since he decided to leave the UK's shores for good last year.
Shelvey, 34, arrived at Arabian Falcons last season with the intention of continuing his playing career at the then third-division club in the UAE, co-founded by another player Ravel Morrison.
The latter is also a playing member of the side, like how Shelvey started out, but finds himself leading the side following a spell as interim coach that sparked his desire to become a manager.
"I was presented with the opportunity to be in charge of the first team," he said in an exclusive interview with Aletihad.
"It's something that I've always wanted to do… I sort of took over the coaching for the past five weeks and got an instant impact from the lads and didn't look back."
As midfielder, Shelvey has had an illustrious career in the Premier League with stints at Liverpool, Newcastle, Burnley and Nottingham Forrest after starting in 2008 with Charlton Athletic.
An offer to be assistant manager at a Turkish club arrived just as he was relocating to Dubai for the safety the city offers, compared to the UK, he said in an interview with BBC last year. He turned it down.
"I didn't really want to go back to Turkey, obviously, where I just moved my family to Dubai," he said. "And then the fact that I was only going to be an assistant was something that I wasn't too keen on then."
Yet, Shelvey has made no secret of his desire to go into coaching, publicly admitting that he has been dovetailing classes for his coaching licence with his training.
Shelvey's decision to remain in Dubai has also been reinforced by the sense of security the emirate offers, even amid regional tensions.
"I still feel Dubai is the place for me personally and for my family," he said. "Even when the war started… I just think a lot of it's been blown out of proportion. The country has been spot-on. They've handled everything so well… we've never felt safer."
With Arabian Falcons recently promoted to the UAE Second Division, expectations are rising, but Shelvey believes his playing career has prepared him for the scrutiny.
"With my name comes expectations… but it's something that's not new to me," he said. "When you go and play in front of Old Trafford or Wembley… that's pressure."
A key part of his transition has been maintaining continuity within the club's structure, particularly alongside Harry Agombar, the incumbent manager who is stepping up as Sporting Director.
Agombar had gone on leave for a month in March, Shelvey stood in temporarily, soon proving his worth as a regular fixture in the Falcons dugout.
Now the coaching journey is in full swing,with Shelvey close to completing his UEFA A Licence and relishing the demands of management.
"I'm nearly signed up on my A licence, so I've been working hard at that," he said. "I don't feel like it's come at a time where it's too quick. I feel like I'm ready for it.
"I said that I wouldn't take it unless Harry was still involved in the club somehow," Shelvey explained. "We've known each other since we were seven or eight… hopefully it can stand us in good stead."
On the pitch, Shelvey is focused on instilling greater professionalism and organisation within the squad.
"It was a bit disorganised when I first came to the club, but I'm trying to change that mindset," he said. "There'll be all sorts of changes at the club throughout the summer… there's so much potential out here."
Shelvey added that he is eager to take on the administrative responsibilities of management, including recruitment and budgeting.
"We'll sit down at the end of the season… and go through everything, what we need," he said. "It's something that I've never really seen that side of football… I'm really excited to get my teeth stuck into it."
For a player once known for his range of passing in England's top flight, Shelvey's next chapter is unfolding rapidly in the UAE, as his coaching career takes flight with the ambitious Falcons.