Shrewsbury Town's chances of signing Harry Chapman dashed

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has been a revelation since joining Town on a temporary basis, scoring six goals in 13 League One appearances.

However, parent club Blackburn Rovers plan to trigger an extra year in his contract – as boss Tony Mowbray revealed Chapman will be given a chance with the Championship club in pre-season.

“Harry Chapman will come back in pre-season undoubtedly,” said Mowbray to LancsLive. “We have an option here on Harry and that will be triggered and then we’ll see how he looks through pre-season, see what he’s doing and see how close we feel he is to impacting our starting XI and our team and we’ll make a call with it.

“I’ll sit down and talk to him. He’ll play some pre-season games and hopefully he becomes a big asset.

“I think we watch everything Harry does, I watch all my loan players every time they touch the ball really. It’s something that it’s really important to make sure that you’re keeping aware of the players you’re sending out on loan and how they’re developing and where they are. Harry wasn’t really a development loan, Harry was a loan where he needed to go and play really and get his confidence up and try and impact a football team. He’s obviously done that at Shrewsbury, I’m pleased for him, he’s scored a few goals.”

Though he will get a chance with Rovers this summer, Mowbray urged Chapman to take that opportunity and become tougher mentally.

“Harry was mainly sent out, yes to play football, but to realise what it is to be a footballer and how you deal with disappointment of not being selected, how you deal with doing really well and everybody talking about you, how you deal with the day-to-day training when it’s really hard,” he said. “Harry had to grasp all of that really. He’s still a relatively young guy. He’s got talent and that’s why he’s here. I signed him and it’s not as if I don’t know anything about Harry Chapman, I know all about him.

“What he needs to do is mentally get tougher and more robust and then he has to produce for us.

“With total respect to Shrewsbury Town, it’s OK scoring a few goals for Shrewsbury Town, but this is the Championship and it’s a million miles in front on League One. He has to come here and try to impact our team. He has to prove he’s got more than Adam Armstrong and Ben Brereton and Sam Gallagher and Bradley Dack. Even Tyrhys Dolan, he has to show that he deserves to be in the team in front of them and that’s his competition.”

Shrewsbury’s assistant manager Aaron Wilbraham, meanwhile, revealed that Chapman is as popular among his Shrews colleagues as he is with the fanbase.

“Chappy is a really down to earth lad, he settled straight into the squad as soon as he came, I think he only had a couple of sessions before the manager’s not been here,” Wilbraham said. “I still find it strange how the manager has not even met the likes of Nathanael (Ogbeta) and stuff, but he’s spoke to them over the phone.

“He’s fit right into the group and everyone’s been pleased with his attitude since he’s come in.

“Some of the goals have been unbelievable, a few goal-of-the-season contenders, he’s added to our attack and that’s why the gaffer and Keith Burt brought him in.”