Aaron Wilbraham: I love Jason Cummings, but it was hard to get him in Shrewsbury team
Stand-in boss Aaron Wilbraham ‘loves’ Jason Cummings as a player but admitted it was difficult to find a place or him in the team after the striker completed a free transfer to Dundee.
Cummings was a marquee signing having joined from Nottingham Forest in September 2019 and was a Town hero for his FA Cup brace against Liverpool last season, but struggled for regular game time in blue and amber.
He was out of contract in the summer and, despite enjoying his time at Shrewsbury and being determined to force his way into Steve Cotterill’s thoughts, has been allowed to join the Scottish Championship outfit, where he signed an 18-month deal.
Town’s stand-in boss Aaron Wilbraham paid tribute to the striker this week, hailing the way he carried himself in training and the impact he had on the rest of the group – despite not playing regularly – with his colourful personality.
“I love Jase to bits and he’s done really well since we’ve came in, he’s had one of the best attitudes and been one the better trainers,” Wilbraham said. “Obviously Shaun Whalley is playing in that position that the manager would think to play Jason at the moment – the amount of running Shaun does for the team, he kind of picks himself really. Not saying that Jason doesn’t do that, but that’s why the manager’s gone for Shaun a lot of the time, it’s then fitting Jason into the game. A lot of games have been tight 1-0 wins.
“So do you throw an extra striker on if the game is going that way? Not really. I think it’s been hard on Jase, the amount of game time he’s got.
“And the gaffer really cares about that, I remember when he was at Birmingham and I was still in contact with him. He used to speak to players at Birmingham he still thought about even though he’d left the club, even though he didn’t have the chance.
“It’s good that the gaffer really cares about the players who aren’t getting the games and Jason is really one of those. The gaffer wants to give more game time to him but hasn’t had the chance to do it.
“Since me and Dave have been in charge, we’ve said the same.
“We pulled him and Gossy (Sean Goss) last week just to say how good their attitude has been, with not playing, especially with the manager not about, they could be sulking.
“But they are still having the banter on the coach and getting the group going. I just said how important that is, I know it from being a player. If you’ve got lads who aren’t playing still acting positive then it has a really positive effect on the squad.”
Cummings, 25, passed 100 career goals this season and had four EFL Trophy goals but was yet to net in league action. He leaves with 10 goals in 48 appearances for the club.
