Former Newcastle United star Jonjo Shelvey has vowed that he will never speak ill of the club.

Shelvey has signed a long-term deal with Nottingham Forest, joining late in the January transfer window.

However, the central midfielder has a lot of affection for the Magpies, having played there for seven years.

"It was a difficult one because my kids are settled there in school so it's a hard decision to make, but I felt like I needed a fresh start," he told Forest TV in his first interview since joining.

"I loved my time at Newcastle. I will never ever have a bad word to say about anyone at the club. I've got a lot of friends there on and off the pitch that I've made and formed friendships that will last a lifetime.

"But I felt, for me, personally, I needed to come away from it and get myself a new challenge. I still feel I've got many years left in me so I wanted to come away and really put my football knowledge and experience to another club."