Shropshire Star

Ton-up Shrewsbury captain Luke Leahy is 'midfield marvel'

Shrewsbury Town boss Steve Cotterill has explained what he saw in Luke Leahy to turn him into a midfielder.

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When Leahy arrived at Town after leaving Bristol Rovers in 2021 he played at left-back or left wing-back.

But since joining up with manager Cotterill he has converted him into a midfielder - a move that has brought huge success with him winning player of the season, twice, and notching his 100th appearance for the club on Tuesday's win against Bristol Rovers.

And Cotterill explained why it came about.

He said: "When I watched a few training sessions and I kept thinking about his passing. I kept thinking about the angles he makes and how good he is in the air. He also has a knack for knicking a goal.

"So with all of those attributes I thought, ‘I wonder if I can make you into a midfielder player’.

"Then of course what you need when he does go in there is to do well because then it gives you something to build on.

"The chance is one thing, the start is another and him taking that opportunity is the key one.

"If he would have gone in there in the first few games and been poor he might not have turned into one. He still might be a left-back or a left-wing-back.

"So I think there is all of those attributes you need there.

"He can also run. He does not always sprint quickly, there will be quicker players than Luke in the team but what he does is cover the ground.

"Sometimes as a midfielder, you have got to go somewhere because you are screening the play and the ball does not ever come there which means you have got to get out of that position and get somewhere else.

"Then when there is turnover of the ball, can you make yourself available, do you understand what is going on around you?

"When he first did it the problem we had with him was he did not check his shoulders enough.

"If the ball is coming one way you have got to make sure you look the other way to check your shoulder.

"We do a lot of drills that help to encompass that and they have helped as well.

"It has been quite a process really, but thankfully for the football club and for Luke and for me it has been a successful one.

"Not everything works out that you do, but I kept seeing things in training and thinking ‘I wonder’."