Ross County take Shrewsbury Town's Jim O'Brien on loan

The Staggies have signed Salop's vice-captain until the end of the season.

O'Brien, 29, has featured 25 times for Shrewsbury this season, scoring once.

The former Coventry and Barnsley man signed a two-year deal with Town last summer.

County, who play in the Scottish Premiership, are managed by Jim McIntyre, who previously managed O'Brien at Dunfermline.

Jim McIntyre said: "I've worked with Jim O'Brien before at Dunfermline so I know his qualities. He will bring competition in wide areas for us and at 29-years-of-age he brings a wealth of experience with him."

The Scottish-born former Republic of Ireland youth international follows Antoni Sarcevic, Andy Mangan, Moha Choulay, George Waring, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Ivan Toney out of Greenhous Meadow.

But the club could be more willing to move players on having strengthened their squad with four new signings already this window.

Town this week sealed the loan signing of West Bromwich Albion youngster Tyler Roberts, who Hurst revealed has been brought in as a centre-forward.

The 18-year-old Welsh youth international joins Freddie Ladapo and Alex Rodman as new attacking additions, with centre-half Toto Nsiala also having joined.

Meanwhile, Hurst believes Shrewsbury's full-throttle display against Bradford City is a glimpse of what he aims to achieve with Salop.

The 1-0 victory, in which Town's new signings excelled, wasn't enough to keep Shrewsbury out of League One's bottom four on goal difference, but the boss hinted the display was a sign of things to come.

"In certain aspects I would have to say that it was more of 'my' side," said Hurst.

"Certain traits like Shaun coming on and running with the ball. Alex running with the ball, Freddie is running towards their goal – that's what we want to have, that sort of threat.

"We don't want to be pedestrian and easy to play against."