England coach Roy Hodgson admits calling up Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey knowing he'd turned down U21 selection.
At 22, Shelvey is still eligible for Gareth Southgate's U21s even though he has not been selected for more than a year, since pulling out of a squad for games against Finland and Moldova in September 2013, a year after winning his only senior cap to date.
"I believe Gareth spoke to him and he was reticent, maybe, to play in a game or two," said Hodgson. "As a result Gareth chose other people, as he's quite entitled to do. If he did turn him down he wouldn't be the first. I've had people turn down first-team national places, which I'll keep to myself.
"It may well be that Jonjo, having already played for the first team, might have felt that being asked to play for the Under 21s was stepping back down after, in his eyes, stepping up."
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