Head coach Michael Appleton 'excited' to get going on Shrewsbury project
Boss Michael Appleton is looking forward to getting started as Shrewsbury Town head coach on a permanent basis.
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The 49-year-old was appointed temporarily at first following his predecessor, Gareth Ainsworth, walking out on Salop to join their now League Two rivals Gillingham.
Appleton oversaw a change in style during his nine games at the end of the season, and was given the job permanently just a few weeks back before the final game against Crawley.
The former Lincoln and Oxford man signed a two-year contract in Shropshire, and he is now making plans ahead of their fourth-tier campaign, which begins in August.
"I'm excited to crack on," he said. "I think I can sit here and talk a good game until I'm blue in the face, but ultimately, you know it's what you do.
"Actions speak much louder than words."
Shrews' business for the summer began last week as they released eight first team players whose contracts had come to an end in Shropshire.
Big names like Aaron Pierre, Jordan Shipley and Morgan Feeney will not be a part of the plans going forward.
Somebody who will is Taylor Perry. Town activated an option to extend the midfielder's contract, which will keep him at the Croud Meadow for another 12 months.
He was someone Appleton had spoken very highly of.
Shrews have got roughly six weeks until the players return to their Sundorne Castle training base to begin pre-season at the end of June and he thinks the 14 players who are remaining at the club will have mixed emotions.
Appleton continued: "It's exciting, you know the reality is that there's a small sort of nucleus of players who I'm sure will be genuinely excited about next season.
"They know that they could be part of hopefully, a talented group that you know want to play football, and want to play exciting football.
"I would imagine there'd be one or two nervous players in the dressing room, but that's not a bad thing. I think that's good because they should be."
Shrewsbury will have Max Mata and Roland Idowu - two players who were out on loan for last season - back in the fold. Idowu played for St Mirren in the Scottish Premier League, and Mata had been playing in his native New Zealand.
Decisions will have to be made about what Salop do about their futures.
