Shrewsbury Town assistant Aaron Wilbraham happy to hang up the boots on his own terms

You would think it rather sad, then, that it took a global pandemic to force the experienced forward to finally hang up his boots, despite still playing a starring role for League One Rochdale, writes Lewis Cox.

But Shrewsbury Town’s new assistant manager Wilbraham, who turned 41 in October, is philosophical about things. He is in a place, having made his senior debut on March 28 1998, to accept that March 7, 2020, was his final professional game.

After admitting early on during lockdown that retirement talk was ‘stupid’, Wilbraham re-evaluated and realised he wanted to go out on his own terms.

He realised that, having spent the summer trying to keep fit but struggling to earn a contract as clubs turned down the option of taking on a then 40-year-old, it was as good a time as any to call it a day after nearly 800 appearances and 150 goals.

The former Stockport County, MK Dons and Bristol City frontman – the three of his 11 clubs where he spent the longest period – also realised he has been handed an opportunity far too good to turn down by Steve Cotterill, a manager he flourished under at Ashton Gate.

Wilbraham, who has won two EFL Trophies along with five promotions at five different clubs as he aims to help Shrewsbury take another step towards Wembley in the Papa John’s Trophy against Lincoln tonight, has had half-an-eye on coaching for the best part of a decade and is relishing his opportunity at Shrewsbury.

“It’s been a frustrating time since March. I played 90 minutes against Portsmouth, 90 minutes against Rotherham the following week, we won 3-1 and I got man of the match, they were top and went up.” Wilbraham recalled. “If that last season I’d been injured and not getting in the squad I might’ve thought it was the end but because I was playing regularly, there was no way I wanted to stop.

“But then, as you re-evaluate, the months go by and you see so many people not get clubs, my agent was ringing people and they were saying ‘He must be getting on, he must be 38 by now’, and my agent was saying ‘He’s actually 41’.

“People were put off by the age. Everyone’s worried about money and stuff in the Covid situation, they don’t see sell-on value in a player at 41, it’s as simple as that.

“It was never going to be with any regrets. I’ve had people ask what I’m going to do when I finish for the last 10 years. It was always going to come to an end. I’ve never had any regrets, I’ve probably looked at the last six seasons as my last and treated every game like it.

“I’ve had time to let it finish and it’s not a wrench, Walking straight into this is a massive help and something I’m really thankful to the gaffer for and I really want to work hard. It’s made the transition easier.”

Wilbraham played Premier League football for Norwich and Crystal Palace, where fans nicknamed him Aaron Wilbrahimovic in ode to Sweden great Zlatan.

When he netted for Rochdale in the FA Cup on January 4 this year – against Newcastle, no less – he emulated Sir Stanley Matthews as the competition’s oldest goalscorer. He is one of a select few to score in four different decades.

He is proud of those records but knows they don’t win you contracts. Instead, the former striker was chuffed to get the call from his old boss and jump into coaching. He admitted Cotterill ‘threw him in at the deep end’ with a training session last Thursday, his first day, but leading shooting drills ahead of Saturday’s game was nothing new.

“There were little bits (of interest) here and there, Ian Holloway was my manager at Crystal Palace, he’s now at Grimsby,” Wilbraham, who has his UEFA B Licence and is studying for his A badge, added.

“I was looking to carry on playing but nothing really came through in the end. I had to re-evaluate. I think everyone looked to the New Year to make a decision on what they were doing, that’s where I was when I got a call from the manager.

“My stubbornness, throughout the summer, did not want Covid to have retired me and for it to be on my terms.

“I think it’d end up with a run of frustrating injuries and niggles at this age and it’s not something I want myself to be finishing on. I can retire when I was playing well and leave it be.

“But in the end everything happens for a reason and I’ve had the chance to link back up with a great manager in Steve Cotterill, who has given me a great opportunity, so it’s worked out well.”

Cotterill’s men welcome fellow League One side Lincoln to Montgomery Waters Meadow for this evening’s 7pm kick-off in front of up to 2,000 fans, which is a repeat of the 2018 final in this competition.

The round of 32 tie, which will go straight to penalties if level after 90 minutes, is a dress rehearsal for next Tuesday’s League One clash at Sincil Bank. Michael Appleton’s Imps are flying in the league this season, second after 15 games.

But they are stretched for tonight’s tie and could be down to just 14 recognised senior players as injuries and suspensions begin to bite.

First team players Lewis Montsma, Theo Archibald and James Jones are rated 50-50 to join sidelined duo Liam Bridcutt and Adam Jackson.

Tayo Edun is suspended having picked up two group stage bookings. Town’s Aaron Pierre will miss the tie for the same reason.

Cotterill has admitted tonight will be a much-changed side for Shrewsbury, who are still without long-term injury victims Leon Clarke, Rekeil Pyke, Ryan Sears, Marlon Fossey and Brad Walker themselves. Shilow Tracey, who netted a hat-trick in this competition last time out, is nearing a return.

Appleton’s Lincoln may be flying high in Shrewsbury’s third tier but Imps star Harry Anderson is targeting more Trophy success with Lincoln after admitting his team-mates are bored of him talking about their 2018 title run.

Winger Anderson is the only player in the current squad who was at Wembley as Lincoln beat Shrewsbury in the 2018 final, and he said: “This is my fifth season now and I seem to be the lone survivor.

“They probably get a bit bored of hearing about it. I just go on about that, the FA Cup run, things like that. We’ve got quite a young squad now and I know how I felt being able to play at Wembley. Hopefully we can go again.”