Simon Grayson eyes Shrewsbury Town job

Grayson is understood to be very keen on taking the vacant Montgomery Waters Meadow role after Sam Ricketts was sacked on Wednesday morning.

It is also believed that 47-year-old Scot Gary Holt, who yesterday resigned from Scottish Premiership Livingston after two years in charge, is in the running for the role.

Grayson was axed by fellow League One outfit Blackpool this February after his appointment the previous summer. He has also managed Sunderland, Preston and Bradford in recent years.

Grayson, a former Villa defender, began his management career with Blackpool in 2005 before four years with Leeds from 2008. He is thought to be keen to return to management and would relish the opportunity at TownCurrie, 45, played for Shrewsbury on loan in the 1994/95 campaign before two-and-a-half seasons at Gay Meadow after joining for £70,000 in early 1996. His only permanent role in management was in charge of National League side Barnet, where he was initially No.2 to John Still.

Currie, who made 89 appearances for Town, took over the caretaker role at The Hive in December 2018 before the role was made permanent in January 2019.

Currie’s Barnet knocked Sheffield United out of the FA Cup before taking Brentford to a replay, earning the manager a burgeoning reputation.

He led the Bees to the National League play-off semi-final after finishing seventh on the points-per-game formula last season, losing to Notts County. Alongside his assistant Junior Lewis, Currie departed Barnet in August this year, a month before their contracts were due to expire. Meanwhile, it is understood that another former Blackpool boss, Gary Bowyer, will not be applying for the position.

Bowyer, 49, is currently professional phase development coach in the academy at Championship outfit Derby County and is thought to be rated highly by the Shrews hierarchy. But the former Blackburn manager, who most recently managed Bradford in League Two, is understood to be happy with his job with the Rams’ youth set-up and will not be putting his name forward. He was a contender for the role when Ricketts was appointed in late 2018.

Paul Cook and Paul Heckingbottom are also not interested in the role, while Danny Cowley – formerly of Lincoln and Huddersfield – and ex-Bristol City chief Lee Johnson are also likely to be beyond Shrewsbury’s reach. Fans are calling for Town to appoint a manager with experience of the division as they bid to climb away from their perilous position.