Former Premier League star Jonjo Shelvey says he moved to Qatar to avoid crime, not for the money
Shelvey said he did not want to raise his family in England due to crime and 'being arrested for tweets'
Former Premier League midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has claimed his move to play football in Qatar was fuelled by a desire to avoid England due to crime.
Listen to this article
Shelvey, 33, who played for Liverpool, Newcastle and in Turkey before moving to the UAE, said that suggestions he moved for monetary gain are off base.
He said: "It doesn't bother me. I've since seen a few things like 'he's gone there for money'. I'm thinking 'what money? There's no money in the UAE Second Division League'.
"The ballpark of the standard wage here is £2,000-a-month for a footballer. In terms of what I've earned throughout my career, that's nothing.
Read More: Trump has 'heated phone call' with Netanyahu over strike targeting Hamas in Qatar
"My brother earns more working in a hotel in London, so it was never about coming here for the money."
On a return to England, Shelvey hit out at the state of the country, saying: "If I'm honest, I don't want my children growing up in England any more. We're very lucky that we lived in a nice part of the UK but where I'm from, originally, you can't have nice things in my opinion.
"I'd never wear a watch in London any more. You can't have your phone out in London, in my view."
Shelvey was the latest of a growing cohort of sports stars relocating to the Gulf.
Rio Ferdinand and Ronnie O'Sullivan have both taken up residence in the UAE, following the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Roger Federer.