DUBAI: Arabian Falcons FC manager Jonjo Shelvey has announced the club’s first major signing of the season, with Premier League winner Danny Simpson coming out of retirement to join as player-coach.
The 39-year-old right back, who won the Premier League title with Leicester City in 2016, has signed for the UAE Second Division side and will combine playing duties with a coaching role in Shelvey’s backroom team.
Simpson is the latest high-profile former Premier League player to join the ambitious Falcons project, creating a formidable leadership group alongside Shelvey, fellow ex-Premier League star and club captain Ravel Morrison, and co-owner and Head of Football Operations Jason Puncheon.
A product of Manchester United’s academy, Simpson enjoyed a distinguished career in English football. He won promotion to the Premier League with Sunderland, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers.
He played a key role in Leicester City’s historic 2015-16 Premier League title triumph, one of the greatest sporting underdog stories of all time. Simpson made 30 league appearances that season and earned a winner’s medal as the Foxes defied 5,000-1 odds to lift the trophy.
Shelvey, himself a former iconic Premier League midfielder with over 300 top-flight appearances for clubs including Liverpool, Newcastle United, Swansea City and Burnley, has made a swift transition into management.
Capped six times by England, Shelvey joined Arabian Falcons as a player before stepping into the managerial role for the final five games of last season.
His impressive impact in that short period saw the team mount a late promotion charge, narrowly missing out. Now entering his first full season in the dugout, Shelvey is using the summer transfer window to build a squad capable of delivering success.
Simpson said: “The opportunity to join Jonjo and this exciting project was one I couldn’t turn down. I still have plenty to offer on the pitch, and I’m looking forward to helping the team achieve its ambitions.
“The club has a clear plan, and I want to play my part in delivering a successful promotion-winning campaign.”
Shelvey said he was pleased to welcome Simpson: “After stepping in for the last five games last season and coming so close to promotion, we now have the opportunity to build properly in my first full campaign.
“Danny is the ideal signing, a Premier League champion with vast experience, leadership, and a winning mentality. He strengthens us immediately on the pitch and will be invaluable in helping develop the squad.
“This is the start of us building a team I firmly believe can win promotion this season.”
Puncheon added: “Jonjo has already shown what he can do in a short space of time, and with Danny arriving we are building real strength and character in the squad. We are fully focused on making this a successful season and securing promotion to the UAE First Division,” he said.
Shelvey has also prioritized continuity in his squad rebuild, extending the contract of Morrison for a further season. This retention is viewed as a key building block in the club’s plans for the 2026-27 campaign.
With Simpson’s arrival and Morrison’s contract extension, the club continues to attract and retain high-caliber former Premier League talent. Further signings are expected in the coming weeks.
Arabian Falcons FC, based in Dubai, was originally founded as a community-focused side, but under new ownership the club has been transformed in recent years into a serious football project.
Under the guidance of Puncheon, the Falcons are looking to blend experienced international talent with emerging players to achieve promotion to the UAE First Division in the short term, build toward continental competition, and later qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.
This season, the club has also launched its own academy, led by Shelvey, Simpson, Morrison and Puncheon. The academy aims to create a professional pathway for talented young players across the UAE, combining elite coaching expertise with first-team opportunities.
A behind-the-scenes documentary crew will follow the team throughout the new season as they launch their promotion push.
