Shropshire Star

Sam Jones leaves Shrewsbury Town for Cheltenham Town on loan until January

Shrewsbury midfielder Sam Jones has joined League Two outfit Cheltenham Town on loan until January.

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The 27-year-old has been a peripheral figure ever since signed by former boss Paul Hurst from Grimsby Town on deadline day in January.

He has started just three times for Town, scoring once. Town paid a fee for Jones, who had impressed at Grimsby, and signed him on a two-and-a-half year deal.

But his fitness was quickly identified as not being up to scratch at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Though Town chief John Askey wants Jones to impress with Cheltenham before returning 'raring to go' at Shrewsbury.

Askey has been attempting to trim his bloated Shrewsbury squad and has since sent out right-back Luke Hendrie to Grimsby and midfielder Bryn Morris to Wycombe.

Jones joins the managerless Robins after Gary Johnson was sacked last week.

Askey also hoped to find clubs for Abo Eisa and Arthur Gnahoua but a loan move had been proving difficult. Eisa has now been ruled out for a month with a knee injury.

Zak Jules is another player not in the manager's plans and available to temporarily leave before next Friday's deadline.

Askey said on Jones: "It's a good opportunity for Sam to get games.

"We've got a lot of midfield players and due to a lack of opportunities for him we feel as though it's best for him, and Sam feels it's a good opportunity for himself.

"They're struggling at the moment but he will get games and that's what he needs. He only played five times for Shrewsbury last season. It gives him the opportunity to get back playing, get some goals and hopefully come January he'll be raring to go for us if he's needed.

"You're looking at players when you first come in as manager. I was looking for a little bit more from Sam but hopefully getting games he can show me what he can do.

"That's (ability) why he was signed. He has got goals in him. At the moment it hasn't worked for him. But it's horses for courses, sometimes you can go somewhere and you fit, sometimes you don't.

"He feels his best position is a centre-forward. When I came in my opinion of him was an attacking midfield player. But Sam wants to play more as a '9' than a midfield player."

The boss added: "It's not at all doors closed. If anybody starts doing well then you've got to look at it, it depends how we're doing as well.

"Hopefully he can show what he can do and the results go for us as well. It's a good chance but at the moment the squad is over-loaded with midfield players.

"Without the younger ones we're down to a squad of about 23. The squad's not that big now we've trimmed it down. It's very much a workable squad."