Shrewsbury Town's Junior Brown fired up for life after football
Junior Brown helps extinguish threats near the Shrewsbury goal and may also spend his future putting out flames.
While some players pursue coaching badges throughout their playing careers, Town’s popular left-back has ambitions of an exciting life after football.
He is considering a career in the emergency services. specifically the fire department.
Left-back Brown, 28, is an infectious member of Town’s squad and his fiery performances have him as a firm favourite.
As one of the longest-serving players, he is a big character behind the scenes at the Sundorne Castle training complex.
Despite once sitting part of a sports coaching degree, the Crewe-born flier is not interested in staying in the game.
Brown said: “I gave up my studies, I kicked it to the wayside, I was more interested in trying to be a footballer.
“I studied sports coaching and development. It was probably the worst course I could’ve picked, it was embarrassingly easy.
“I probably don’t want to go into coaching. I do want to go through university but I’m probably looking at something outside of football.
“To be honest most recently I’ve been thinking about the fire service. Something active and a bit of excitement.
“I hope there’s a bit of life in me yet as a footballer but you never know!”
Boss Paul Hurst has praised Brown, who made his 100th Town appearance on Tuesday, for his all-round improvements this season.
Hurst was a left-back himself, making almost 500 appearances for Rotherham United in a 15-year career.
The blue and amber chief noted how Brown has a ‘tough’ job playing under him at left-back.
“It’s nice for the gaffer to be saying that (praise) but he’s not saying it behind closed doors, he’s caning me most weeks,” said Brown. “He’s a left-back himself, he knows the job. We worked on a lot of things in the off season to make me more defensively sound and defensive-minded. It’s shown in the performances.
“When you’re a player in that position it’s something that you focus on, you see things. At the same time it’s good because he can impart his knowledge on to me.
“It’s good for me learning my trade and is certainly helping improve my performances.”
