Shrewsbury Town's talks with Michael Appleton progress as he closes in on signing new deal

Appleton was appointed as Salop boss on an interim basis at the end of March when Gareth Ainsworth walked out on Shrewsbury to join League Two side Gillingham. 

Appleton, who has had a distinguished 14-year managerial career with jobs at Portsmouth, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester, Lincoln and Oxford, has said from the outset that he wanted to be back in the dugout next season. 

Both Shrewsbury and Appleton have had a period of getting to know each other since his first game at St Andrew's on March 29, but questions over whether he would take the job on a full-time basis had been raised after the talks continued late into April. 

Appleton has always been keen to take the job on, and it is understood while there is an acceptance he has not always had results to go with it - there has been significant progress in playing style since he arrived in Shropshire. 

The 49-year-old, who is known for working with young players, has completely altered a direct style employed by Gareth Ainsworth during his tenure. 

And that culminated in his first win on Saturday as they beat Barnsley 2-1 in the last away game of the campaign. 

Town have been relegated from League One this season after a 10-year stint in the third-tier of English football. 

And now on the eve of their final match of the season against Crawley Town, it appears the experienced boss is closing in on signing terms which will keep him at the Croud Meadow next season - tasked with helping the club to bounce back after a difficult campaign.