James Wesolowski: My finest hour followed by the boot

The Shrewsbury Town midfielder has been through hell over the last 15 months, rupturing his cruciate ligament twice.

But the bubbly Australian, now back to full fitness, believes his immense mental strength stems from being released at Peterborough in 2011.

Ironically, it came within 48 hours of helping the club to one of their finest hours – clinching a place in the Championship in front of almost 50,000 at Old Trafford in the League One play-off final by beating Huddersfield 3-0.

"I enjoyed it – it was a promotion season and we went up to the Championship," said Wesolowski, who made 39 appearances for Posh.

"It ended abruptly though – I played 90 minutes in the play-off final and then two days after the celebrations I got told I wasn't needed, so it was a bit strange.

"It was a bit of a surprise, but these things are part of football and what happens in the game.

"It actually made me a stronger person mentally because it was something I've never had in my career before, where I'd been rejected almost.

"I think that was good for me in the long run and there were no hard feelings, it's part of the game.

"You use these negative things to motivate you, especially in a football environment where it happens quite often.

"Darren Ferguson released me, but I actually got on well with him and I think he liked me but it was just how it worked out – it had to happen."

Only centre-back Gabriel Zakuani and caretaker boss Grant McCann – who scored in the final – remain at Posh from that play-off winning side five years ago.

But Wesolowski, one of three Town players who have been at London Road with Nathaniel Knight-Percival and Tyrone Barnett, still believes he has something to show the club that released him.

"There's a point to prove, exactly," he said. "When you play against your old team, you always want to beat them to get one over on them.

"I don't think there are many of the boys I was with still there but Natty and myself are both looking forward to it."

Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Walsall was the third game Wesolowski has played in eight days since coming from injury.

But the 28-year-old insists he's putting Town's survival before his own concerns. "We've had quite a few games in a short space of time, so that might be tough for my body," he said.

"But there's more at stake than my body on the line.

"We've got to make sure Shrewsbury stay up so I'm ready to play and feel I'm getting stronger every game.

"I'm seeing how I react to the recovery, so I'm taking it by day."