Ryan Sears happy to play his part for Shrewsbury Town

The Town academy graduate, 22, was introduced for just his second league start of the season last time out against Portsmouth, albeit in a more unfamiliar role of right wing-back.

The Newtown-born stopper is a centre-half by nature, but has played right-back on a number of occasions since breaking into the first-team fold in 2018.

He was deployed in a more offensive wing-back role by boss Steve Cotterill against Pompey, coming in for the injured Josh Daniels, but his afternoon lasted just 45 minutes as the Town chief opted for a half-time change of system.

“Searsy only came off because of the change of system, that’s got to be said, it wasn’t by any means any detriment to himself,” said Salop assistant boss Aaron Wilbraham. “The manager wanted to change the system, he spoke to me about it in the first half because it looked like we were struggling a little bit and you’ve got to say the change of system helped us, we got back into the game near enough straight away, if anything the sending off helped them a little bit.”

Wilbraham added of Sears, who is fighting to remain in the side at Northampton Town today: “Sears is a great lad, he’s always got a great attitude. I’ve spoke about him before when him and JD (Josh Daniels) have been left out the squad. He is always really good in training, always willing to learn and wanting to do well. He did nothing wrong, it was just the system changing.”

Sears won player of the year on loan at hometown club Newtown in 2017/18, playing a mixture of right-back and centre-half. He is one of several out-of-contract Shrewsbury players this summer, though there is a one-year option on extending his deal. Sears’ status of a ‘club-grown’ player could be an attraction.

Wilbraham was quick to credit the defender for the way he responded when called upon, adding: “It’s not easy to be fair, Searsy is more of a defender and then you’ve got JD who is more of an attacker to have played that position. They have both struggled with the different sides of it when playing there but both have come in and done a fantastic job.

“Anybody who has been called upon, there’s been a few lads who’ve come in and played out of position this season, they’ve done fantastic – I’m sure the manager would say the same thing.

“Searsy is more of a centre-half, to be fair, but he’s the type of lad that if you ask him to play out of position he will do.”