Shrewsbury Town Boss Paul Hurst praises Bristol Rovers' approach

Rovers have enjoyed back-to-back promotion under Darrell Clarke and have impressed in the third tier this season, threatening the play-off positions.

Hurst and Clarke's rivalry dates back three seasons, where Rovers took four points from Grimsby on their way to the Conference title.

And the Town boss believes that Rovers' consistency and transfer business is something that Shrews can imitate.

"You hope so that we can do something similar yes," said Hurst. "I'm not saying that they're not good enough players by any stretch because clearly they are, but there's quite a few of that group that've come from the Conference or ones that have played League Two.

"I'm sure Darrell will have his own thoughts about taking them to the next level, nobody's going to sit there and say 'we're alright' – if you do that you're in trouble."

Hurst, whose side have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the Memorial Stadium visit, added: "We've brought in Toto and Rodders who've played in the Conference, players that can do it, and if they've been in teams that've got promoted, then that builds confidence.

"At the end of the day you're a Conference player while playing in a Conference team and now they're League One players.

"I constantly said it at my previous club, I was a Conference manager now I want to be a league manager, same as the players."

The boss is hoping to steer the Greenhous Meadow outfit away from a winless run of four matches, leaving Town one point above the drop.

But no matter their outcome, Hurst's summer recruitment will not be pigeon-holed.

Hurst added: "Whatever scenario we're dealing with, it won't be that we'll just be looking for players that've played 'X' amount of games in this league, it'll be about who we feel will be the best players.

"The search will be a broad one and we won't rule people out because they haven't kicked a ball in the Football League."