Shrewsbury Town today began the countdown to the new League Two season in earnest with manager Paul Simpson declaring: ‘We’ve got a strong squad – now we need to prove it.’

Town returned to the Sundorne training ground this morning for the start of pre-season training with the summer recruits – Grant Holt, Michael Jackson, Paul Murray, Shane Sherriff and Stephen Hindmarch – meeting their new team-mates for the first time.

That quintet of arrivals has built up a feelgood factor around Oteley Road with expectations rising as the summer progressed.

Simpson this morning admitted he remains on the look-out for new faces and is anxious to free up spaces by moving players out of his squad.

But the Town boss insists he is happy with his summer work to date.

“I’m pleased with what we have done and it’s a strong squad,” he said.

“But nothing’s ever been won on paper in this game so we need to get out there and prepare the players properly starting from today.

“Coming back to pre-season is always a big day and I’m looking forward to it.”

Town’s squad will face double sessions for the first week of training, with each squad member bidding to book their place in the 20-man party heading to Spain for the training camp on Sunday week.

“It won’t be the old-fashioned cross country runs or anything like that, but the players will be worked very hard starting from today and they will be training twice a day for the remainder of this week and next,” he said.

Simpson has also ruled out having trialists for the opening weeks of pre-season training.

“Unless something really stand-out comes up, we won’t be taking any trialists at the moment,” he added.

“We have got a big squad and I want too give everyone a fair crack of the whip – that’s only fair to everybody involved.”

By James Garrison