Swansea City boss Garry Monk has claimed that Jonjo Shelvey has become a better player than he was when he received a call-up to the England squad earlier this season.

Monk was critical of the 23-year-old's attitude earlier in the campaign as he called the former Liverpool man "lazy" due to a spate of poor performances.

However, the Swans manager has now praised Shelvey for his improvement on and off the field as he has become an integral part of the club's rise up the Premier League table.

"Jonjo is definitely a better player now than he was when he was called up by England earlier in the season," Monk told reporters. "He has taken the criticism on board and you can see that. He has worked really hard at his fitness.

"He is more consistent, there is competition for places and he knows he has to perform every game – not once in every three or four. The penny is dropping with him and if he keeps progressing we will have a serious, serious player on our hands."

Shelvey has made 33 appearances for the Swans this season, scoring three goals.