Shropshire Star

Late Shrewsbury Town arrivals are ‘icing on the cake’ for John Askey

Relieved Town chief John Askey reckons his final Shrewsbury signings have been ‘the icing on the cake’ this summer and backed them to make the difference this season.

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Askey ended transfer deadline day yesterday with two new signings as Oliver Norburn joined for a club record fee and Lee Angol checked in.

The boss, who made 15 signings in total, was particularly pleased with his late business – including centre-half Luke Waterfall and Rangers loan man Greg Docherty – as a totally new-look Town squad was finalised.

Askey said: “At the beginning it was slow, as we knew it would be. We said we needed to be patient but the last few days have put the icing on the cake and can make the difference this season.

“Hopefully first of all we can compete, then push on from there.”

Askey is keen for stability after an intense summer and, after handing out a number of long-term deals, does not want to have to tear the squad list up against next year.

He continued: “You have to be patient these days. You don’t want to do what we’ve had to every year. It’s important any football club has stability. You don’t want so many out the door and so many coming in.

“With myself coming in and what’s happened we’ve had to do that. Hopefully we get stability to push on and changes are minimal.”

Askey backed Angol, with pace, skill and a footballing brain, to make the step up from League Two, while he backed Norburn to cover the ground, keep the ball and score from distance.

The boss said: “I’m far happier now than when I first walked in.

“We have signed a lot but we lost a lot. It was balancing it really.

“There may be one or two who leave on loan. Every time you bring a player in you’re hoping it’s better than what’s going out. Sometimes it’s difficult.”