'Nothing I haven’t liked' - Matt Cox hails impact of Harry Burgoyne at Shrewsbury Town

Former Salop player Burgoyne was officially appointed as the club’s goalkeeper coach last month, having already been assisting behind the scenes for several weeks.

Cox, who has started every game under Gavin Cowan and kept three clean sheets, says he has enjoyed working with Burgoyne so far.

He said: "He's been very good. He was coming through the England set-up, so I speak to him quite a lot about that. 

"He's great as a coach. We talk regularly about what maybe I need more of, or what I don't like or what I do like. 

"There's been nothing I haven't liked from him so far. I've really enjoyed working with him. It's always nice to learn from his experience as well, being a former player not too long ago."

Burgoyne joined from Alfreton Town in the National League North, where he made 19 appearances this season.

Born in Ludlow, Burgoyne joined Salop in 2020 on a short-term deal until the end of the 2019/20 season. His stay was later extended and, in May 2022, the club exercised an option to retain him for a further year. He was released at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Still only 29, Burgoyne now works alongside Cox and Will Brook, who are both 22.

Asked if Burgoyne’s age helps, Cox added: "It's nice to feel like you can relate to someone," he added. "Obviously, he as the goalkeeper coach and with Will (Brook) as well. 

"We all get on quite well as a group. When it's time to get our head down and work hard, we work hard, but then it's also nice, with being similar ages, that we can all get on and almost enjoy ourselves a bit."

Burgoyne stepped into the role following Brian Jensen’s departure. With a relentless run of fixtures, Cox admits there has been limited time for detailed technical work, but says Burgoyne’s experience and connection to the club have been valuable.

"He's a very, very helpful coach," Cox said. "He understands my situation, having played here and stuff and being young.

"With our schedule of how it's been, we've not been able to really technically work on too much, so it's more about game understanding, tactically speaking.

"We sit down after every game and go through my clips, and say, 'oh what was this, what could you have done here?' 

"Having someone who's not played too long ago, especially here, it's nice to have that experience from his point of view as well."

Salop sit 11 points clear of the League Two relegation zone with 11 matches remaining. Cox has played a key role in their revival, producing several crucial saves.

Asked about his targets for the rest of the season, he said: "Personally, to continue doing what I can for the team, making big saves, having big moments, just helping the game settle down and whatnot. 

"Obviously, as a team, we want to win as many games as we can, and keep as many clean sheets as possible. 

"Seeing us through the end of the season, wherever that takes us, high up the table, whatever, we just want to do our best to finish as strong as possible now."