Shropshire Star

This could change our lives – Shrewsbury Town's Omar Beckles

Omar Beckles believes sealing a historic promotion would be a ‘life-changer’ for Shrewsbury’s players – and says they are ready to seize the moment.

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Town are preparing for their final away game of the regular season at Blackpool tomorrow, where Paul Hurst’s men will be followed by more than 2,500 travelling fans.

Defender Beckles, 26, realises the size of the prize at stake and what it would mean to a group of players that have risen their way through the football pyramid.

And the summer signing from Accrington says a chance at becoming Championship players is just desserts for the effort and commitment Town players have shown.

“I know we’ve got men in that changing room,” said League One team of the year man Beckles. “The fact that we’re in the position we’re in is become we’ve got men in that changing room.

“But there’s still more than us being the men we are.

“People will say clichéd stuff like we’ll be immortal and make history or whatever – it really could be, for some of the boys, a life-changer, being set up and getting out of the game what they deserve from the effort we put in.

“We’re hoping we can put that right. We’re hopefully building some momentum so we can be flying going into it.”

Town’s previous two games against Bury and Peterborough have had little riding on them in terms of league position with Hurst’s men having secured third place.

The Shrewsbury boss has used the period to rest players who have played regularly and those with niggling injuries, and goalkeeping coach Danny Coyne suggested the Blackpool trip would be similar.

Beckles added: “It’s a tough one mentally for players. You don’t want to get sucked in to thinking ‘we’ve done it now’ and wait until the play-offs.

“A lot of us know, especially recently and if anyone doesn’t know they’ve now realised - about being able to just switch it on. I’m not a player that can just switch it on. I can’t have a rest then come in and turn it on.”

“Especially as a defender I need that consistency and creating good habits. That’s when you get the best out of me.”