RAFA BENITEZ insists Newcastle United's Jonjo Shelvey can solve England’s search for a playmaker after a week when Gareth Southgate admitted he could do with having Paul Gascoigne in his ranks.

Southgate bemoaned the national team’s lack of creative options in the middle of midfield after the games with Spain and Switzerland.

Shelvey has often been lauded for an England return since his move to St James’ Park but he has had to wait for his seventh cap; it is three years in November when he last appeared against France.

The 26-year-old, who is fit to return to the Newcastle side after a thigh problem against Arsenal on Saturday afternoon, has an array of passes in his style of play and that is something Benitez feels Southgate should back.

Benitez said: “He has to improve things and he will become an even better player. But he has the potential to play there. Obviously, the manager (Southgate) knows what he has to do but when you have a squad with midfielders, one like Jonjo is a different option.

“I am not saying he should play every game but he offers something different. I will say again, for me, he is a key player because he plays in a different way. Does that mean he is perfect? No, but he is a good player.”

Benitez was asked specifically if he felt Shelvey had the creativity England were looking for, like Gascoigne had. The Newcastle boss said: “For me yes, he has quality, he has the vision, he can make these passes that strikers like behind the defenders.

“In a team, squad, you have to have different kind of players, I don’t see many of this kind of player. I don’t know what the England manager thinks, I am the manager of Newcastle and I have to decide for Newcastle, can he play for England? Yes.”

Benitez was actually the Liverpool manager when Shelvey was signed as a teenager from Charlton, before he was then moved on to Swansea and that led to his £10m switch to Newcastle.

On Tyneside he has had his ups and downs but has shown greater consistency under Benitez, who has worked hard on curbing his temperament issues and a perception that he doesn’t work hard enough off the ball.

“Who signed Jonjo for Liverpool? Me. He was a young player with a lot of talent. You could see the potential there,” said Benitez. “Since then, he has played a lot of Premier League games and has more experience.

“He is more mature and more focused on what he needs to do. He knows when he was making mistakes. If you were doing ten things wrong with him and 20 things right, now it is five wrong and 25 right. He is getting better because he is more mature.

“He has to manage the game and make the right decisions in the game, if he can do that, he can play for any team because he has the technical ability. It is just to be sure he can do all of those things and that comes with experience, maturity and composure. He is a much better player.”