Sam Ricketts: Ryan Haynes can be special for Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury chief Sam Ricketts believes his former team-mate Ryan Haynes has everything to become a ‘special player’.
The duo shared a Coventry City dressing room between summer 2015 and November 2016, when Ricketts called time on his playing career through injury.
Left-back Haynes, 23, joined Town in the summer but has been out of the first-team reckoning. He was recalled for a first league start in almost two months for Saturday’s win over the Sky Blues.
Haynes began the season in Town’s first XI under John Askey but lost his place to makeshift full-back Omar Beckles. New boss Ricketts believes Haynes has real potential to fulfil.
“I thought he was excellent on Saturday. I really did,” said the Town boss, whose side go to Accrington Stanley today aiming for just a second league win on the road this season.
“He drove forward with the ball, he showed ability in the final third to beat a man and put some good crosses in the box.
“Ryan is another young player who has tremendous attributes. Has he always brought them to the fore? No.
“He’s another one that, if he does, there’s a very, very special player there.”
Haynes is expected to remain in the XI today with Beckles sidelined as a precaution with a niggling injury.
Questions have regularly been asked of Haynes’ ability defensively. Asked on working on that detail specifically, Ricketts replied “I want to work on every side of everything!
“It’s a case of, if you’re good at something then make sure you’re very, very good at it. If you have weaker parts of your game – and every player does – then you have to make them more solid as well.
“I really thought he applied himself very well, worked very hard – although he got cramp at the end!”
The Town manager’s first league game was a 2-1 defeat at Burton. Salop have the worst form away from home in League One this season, taking just six points from 11 outings.
But Ricketts is focused on performances. He added “No, we approach them exactly the same.
“It baffles me a little bit, home and away form, you’re still playing on a grass pitch, generally the same size, the same ball.
“It’s nothing I’ll approach differently. The biggest thing for me is if we play like the first half (against Coventry on Saturday) then we win home, away, neutral ground, wherever. It’s all about the performance.”
