Paul Hurst has barely changed – admits Shrewsbury Town winger Alex Rodman

Back in the 2013/14 season, the winger called Chris Doig a team-mate and Paul Hurst was his joint-boss.

Hurst and Rob Scott were at the Grimsby Town helm when Rodman joined Blundell Park. Later that summer, Scottish centre-half Doig teamed up with the Mariners.

Former Rotherham team-mates Hurst and Scott, whose managerial partnership spanned four years, parted ways in September 2013 as the latter left Grimsby.

For the first time in his career Hurst was now in sole charge. Rodman played a pivotal part in securing a Wembley play-off appearance for his club.

Rodman was reunited with Hurst and Doig as he became the boss’s second Salop signing in January. Like Hurst, who hadn’t managed at this level before, Rodman is now playing League One football for the first time in his career.

Years have passed. Roles have changed. But as the winger confirms, some things have stayed the same.

“He’s done fantastically well but I don’t think he’s changed a lot,” said the Town winger, who has one goal in his 11 outings since joining from Notts County.

“You obviously learn and experience things, dealing with scenarios in different ways.

“But I don’t think he’s changed a lot. Many of his methods and attitudes and way of setting up are similar to Grimsby and that’s why he was a success at Grimsby.

“I think that it’s about taking the template for success and putting it in a new environment and that’s what he’s done here.”

Doig became player-assistant the following year, while also taking charge of the reserve set-up. He retired fully from playing in 2015.

The 36-year-old, born in Dumfries, is held in a high regard by players who respect his methods and work ethic behind the scenes.

While Hurst takes the more tactical, bird’s-eye view from the press box during the first-half of home games, Doig will scarcely be seated as he prowls the touchline animatedly geeing the players up.

Solihull-based Rodman, who was one of eight signings as Hurst carried out a makeshift summer shopping spree during the January window, believes the Greenhous Meadow No.2 had all of the ingredients for a role in football coaching.

“Doigy played in my year at Grimsby,” added Rodman. “He did do some of the coaching and we got in the play-offs so towards the end he got into a coaching role.

“There was a joint-manager while I was there and the gaffer took over on his own. He didn’t have half the backroom staff that he does now!

“He did a lot of it on his own so fair play to him but Doigy stepped into those shoes towards the end of the season.

“Doigy’s always been destined for that, that’s his make-up and he has a lot of respect from the boys in the changing room because of the way he is on the training pitch and his ideas.

“There’s no doubt that both of them compliment each other very nicely.”

It is little surprise Rodman has flourished in two spells under Hurst. The manager has a record of using an old-fashioned 4-4-2 system with out-and-out wingers – the 30-year-old fits the bill.

One of Hurst January transfer disappointments came in the wide department. The boss was keen to add to his roster with only Rodman and Shaun Whalley that would label themselves as natural wingers.

And while Rodman and Whalley have enjoyed some fine form on Town’s flanks in the weeks since, the former has found himself out of the starting XI recently, while Whalley limped off with a hamstring complain on Saturday against Coventry,

Whalley’s injury, while Rodman would not admit it, may be a pathway back into Hurst’s starting line-up – but the former County, Leamington, Tamworth and Nuneaton man never took his place in the side for granted.

“We’ve got a lot of attacking quality in the squad and you can’t rest on your laurels,” he said.

“You can’t drop your work rate, we’ve got to be at it. I saw the manager say we have to be at it every game to compete and I believe we do have to.

“If you dip you know about it and rightly so.

“There’s a direct correlation on working hard and having high stats to getting wins and important results. I sense the fans are appreciative of the effort and we appreciate them.”