Assistant boss Jamie Haynes on Shrewsbury Town’s winning streak and stunning turnaround

New boss Gavin Cowan and Haynes arrived with Salop sitting 21st in League Two, two points clear of the relegation zone.

However, they have steered a revival, dramatically improving Town’s fortunes and survival changes, moving them 11 points clear of danger - an impact Haynes believed they could have, although he admits a five-game winning streak was beyond expectations. 

“Knowing Gav and working with him as close as I have done over the years, I was confident that we'd be able to go and have an impact with this group of players,” he said. 

“I don't think anybody could imagine that we'd go and win five on the bounce. But we hit the ground running. 

“There was a lot of detail, a lot of information to get into the lads about how the gaffer wants to play, and those messages were taken on board. It's just credit to the players of how much they really bought into what we wanted to do.”

The job marks  Cowan and Haynes’ first in the Football League. Both have represented the club - Cowan between 2005 and 2007, and Haynes as a youth player, joining at nine-years-old. 

Asked about stepping into the role at his boyhood club, Haynes added: “I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. Obviously with the way it happened so quickly and then with the back-to-back games. 

"It has been a bit of a whirlwind. I haven't really had time to let it sink in and reflect on it. It's been straight in, all hands to the pump to try and turn the season around. We've had a fairly good start.”

Prior to their arrival, Salop had secured just one league win since victory over Newport County in mid-November, and Haynes admits morale was low within the dressing room. 

“Understandably there was a severe lack of confidence,” he said. “One thing that we've tried to do is bring in energy. 

“The experience of Dave, having him as part of the team, has been massive for us, to really be that link between what the gaffer's trying to get across to them.

“With his experience of being a Premier League footballer and playing at every level…has been really important - he's really helped drive that message home.

“Being a local lad as well from starting his career at Shrewsbury, the lads have really respected his input.

“When it's very full on, in terms of the information that the gaffer's driving, they do sometimes need somebody to come and have a conversation with and say, look, can we go through that again? 

“Me and Dave have sort of took that role on of being able to let the players come to us and if there's something they're not sure about, we can use the tools that we have.”