Teenage hot shot Tom Bradshaw is eager to make 2011-12 the season he establishes himself as Shrewsbury Town’s leading striker.

The 18-year-old – he turns 19 at the end of next month – scored six League Two goals in 13 starts as Town missed out on promotion in the play-offs.

But the former Aberystwyth hitman is keen to build on that record next term and really announce his arrival as a senior professional.

“Last season was great for me and the other young lads like Jon Taylor and Connor Goldson,” said Bradshaw, who has also become a fixture in the Wales under-21s squad.

“We got experience of being involved in a promotion push and of playing in front of the television cameras and big crowds.

“As a whole it was a brilliant experience, even though we didn’t get promoted.

“But next season we won’t have the status of first year pros and I think all of us want to push on now and try to become serious first team players.

“If I can get a good run of games then I believe I can get 10 or 15 goals at least – and I want to be come one of the main players in the team.”

Bradshaw’s impressive start to his professional career has also seen him come under the spotlight of scouts from higher up the football pyramid.

But the Shrewsbury-born forward, who grew up on the Mid Wales coast in Tywyn, is not letting himself get distracted by speculation or rumour.

“I’m keeping away from all of that,” he insisted.

“If anything does happen then I will just let my agent deal with it.

“At the minute I am happy at Shrewsbury and I am only thinking about pushing on and becoming a main player at this club.

“It’s a brilliant club to be at and I have really developed my game here.

“I just think fate was against us this year,” he added.

“But we showed we’ve got the team and the players to do it – we just need a little bit of luck at the right time.”

By CHRIS HUDSON