Shrewsbury Town CEO Brian Caldwell: Interest in Paul Hurst inevitable
Chief executive Brian Caldwell believes interest in Paul Hurst is inevitable – but he hopes to keep him at Shrewsbury for years to come.
Managerless Championship side Ipswich Town have been linked with Hurst, but it is understand no contact has been made between the clubs.
Hurst is also priced at 9/1 by bookmakers for the vacant job at relegated Sunderland.
Caldwell, who helped appoint Hurst as Montgomery Waters Meadow boss in October 2016, said that having an ambitious manager has helped Town’s successful charge to the League One play-offs.
“There is nothing we can do,” he conceded. “It is down to the success we’ve had this season and last since he’s come here.
“He’s really kicked the club on. I think it’s inevitable, because of the success he’s had, he’s going to get linked with other jobs, we appreciate and understand that.
“As long as we’re all honest with each other, I’d suggest there will be a time when Paul will get the right job offered to him.
“I’m not saying it’s just now and we want that to be as long in the future as possible.
“If you’ve not got an ambitious manager who wants to go on and do better and better all of the time then you won’t succeed.”
“It’s inevitable the success that he’ll get linked with most jobs. It’s like ‘here we go again’.”
Caldwell added that the close relationship between himself, Hurst and chairman Roland Wycherley puts Town in good stead.
But he said the club won’t splash out on signings in a bid to persuade Hurst to stay.
He said: “The relationship that Paul, myself and the chairman have got, we talk on a regular basis.
“There’s a lot of trust between the three of us. It’s an important link. We’ll always be honest and straight.
“I don’t think we need to do anything because Paul understands we can’t go and spend X amount of pounds on a player. We’ll live within our means as we always will.
“Paul is not the type to get upset and say he wants to go somewhere else.
“Everybody is ambitious in life. There will come a time he perhaps wants to move on, but as long as he continues to be successful we hope it’s in a few years’ time.”
