The magician Marko Marosi set to cast Shrewsbury spell

Town boss Steve Cotterill last week landed the keeper on a fee from the Sky Blues, claiming he had netted the man he wanted, and Marosi was handed a lengthy three-year deal and a boost of confidence in the fight to be Salop No.1 next season.

Slovak-born Marosi is a specialist at helping his sides compete for promotion and was enjoying a stellar time of it in the Championship with Coventry last season until a horrendous facial injury saw him out on the sidelines.

Marosi, who joined the Sky Blues in 2019 with a target of promotion after losing in the play-offs with Doncaster, comes with a reputation of playing from the back, something Cotterill is eager his goalkeeper is capable of doing.

We caught up with long-serving Coventry reporter Andy Turner, of the Coventry Telegraph, to learn more about Shrewsbury's new man between the sticks.

"If you take it back to 2018/19, when he was at Doncaster, he helped them to the play-offs, they lost in the semi-finals (on penalties) and he made a big thing about his ambitions to get promoted, Turner said.

"That was exactly what he did. He was targeted as a keeper who could play out from the back."They (Coventry) changed tact slightly and played with three centre-halves and wing-backs and a playing out from the back style.

"They changed keepers, brought him and Ben Wilson in, and Marko played the entire season in League One until the pandemic hit, helping them to the title.

"He had a terrific season, he really was outstanding. Marko didn't miss a league game, Ben Wilson didn't get a look in."

After helping his side to the League One title, Lancashire-raised Marosi – who was given his first professional deal by Roberto Martinez at Wigan – began to establish himself in the Championship until that fateful day against Cardiff, where Coventry were moments from a 1-0 victory until disaster struck for their shot-stopper.

Turner added: "Marko started in the Championship, lots of players were adapting to the level, but it all came crashing down in the November, at St Andrew's against Cardiff when he got smashed in the face coming for a ball in the last few minutes.

"He suffered a fractured cheek bone and eye socket, missed a couple of months, which let Wilson in for his league debut and he did really well.

"Both struggled for form towards the end of the season, Marko got a chance when Ben tested positive for Covid. Marko was playing with a face guard, I don't know if it affected his peripheral vision, but when Ben returned he got back in, then they were toing and froing really.

"We knew one would make way and the retain list included a new contract for Ben Wilson. Coventry couldn't keep three senior keepers."

Marosi would play 61 games in all competitions for the Sky Blues, with a League One winner's medal to boot. That adds to 94 appearances for Doncaster between 2014 and 2019, in which he almost helped Rovers to back-to-back promotions in his final two years.

And what of Town's new keeper's style of play? Marosi's reputation at using the ball skilfully has blossomed over the years and the 27-year-old was a very popular member of the team in both the changing room and stands at City.

"He's a good shot-stopper, with good reactions and very good at playing the ball out, very good with his feet, they are his key attributes," Turner said. "He's also very vocal, with good experience and a leader at the back.

"The one thing Coventry have lacked is a commanding presence in the box, they went down the playing from the back route to the detriment of having a commanding presence. That's the balance they struck.

"He's very good, very likeable and popular, the fans loved him, they had a song for him – 'Marko, he's magic, you know'. That was sung before the pandemic shut everything down, he played a key part in promotion.

"He is a top bloke in the dressing room, popular with the players, he's a funny lad, he's of Slovakian descent but has this strong northern accent. He's a nice lad.

"He is a top League One keeper. He'd have liked to establish himself in the Championship and who knows what might have happened if he didn't get injured. I think he might've lost a bit of confidence with the horrendous injury, when he walked past you could see the dent in his face."