Character the key for Shrewsbury's Micky Mellon
Micky Mellon is hoping for a show of character when Shrewsbury Town get their teeth into the upcoming League One campaign.
The Greenhous Meadow chief has made nine additions to his playing staff over the summer and plenty have arrived with a copious amount of Football League experience.
Town welcome MK Dons on Saturday and Mellon believes that characters will be born when most needed.
The boss said: "You hope (that you've signed strong characters), but you never know until it calls for people to be characters – as it's a thing that really you can't measure.
"You'll only know that, or get close to knowing that, by knowing the history of the lads from what other people have told you when you've asked before signing them and from what you've seen when you've watched them yourself."
The likes of Louis Dodds, Jim O'Brien, Gary Deegan and Adam El-Abd all bring heaps of experience and leadership from extensive spells in the Football League and the Town boss is hoping he can draw on that when the going gets tough.
Mellon added: "You don't know until the environment comes where you call upon character and then you'll see who is who.
"I believe that we have strong characters in the dressing room who, when called on, will stand up and be counted."
Meanwhile, new Salop schemer Antoni Sarcevic is set to be in contention for a competitive debut against MK Dons at the Meadow.
The ex-Manchester City youngster, who signed from Fleetwood, was sidelined for Town's final friendly against Hibernian following a hip injury. But the 24-year-old trained yesterday.
