Gavin Cowan's challenge to Shrewsbury Town youngster Will Gray after first pro contract

Gavin Cowan has laid down the challenge to young Shrewsbury Town talent Will Gray, who he has backed to have a bright future.

Gray impressed after breaking into the Salop first-team picture at the end of last season and this week signed his first professional contract - a three-year deal with his boyhood club.

However, with several midfield additions arriving this summer and fellow academy graduate Isaac England also competing for a place, the battle for opportunities will be fierce.

Despite that competition, Cowan believes Gray can play an important role for Salop during the new campaign.

“He can, he can, he’s got to work hard,” Cowan told the Shropshire Star.

“He’s obviously got to get in the team. Obviously, we’ve got Jay Turner-Cook in there, Isaac England, Tom Sang, Isaac Fletcher and Jack Price. That’s some big competition.

“So, he’s got to get ahead of them. And at 17-years-old, he’s got to also have the right mentality.

“But I think one of Will’s strengths is a mentality, he keeps things very simple. As I’ve said, I think he’s very focused on his football. I don't think there’s a lot outside of football that matters to him.

“So, as long as we can keep him focused on that, he’s going to give himself every chance, I’m sure.

“He’s got some competition, but we believe there’s a lot of potential there.”

Gray is one of a number of homegrown talents who have featured for Shrewsbury throughout pre-season.

It has been a whirlwind year for the Bayston Hill youngster, who made his debut in the EFL Trophy last August before breaking into Cowan’s squad for League Two fixtures during the latter stages of last season. He has now capped that progress by signing his first professional deal.

“(I am) over the moon,” Cowan added. “I am really grateful to the chairman, to the CEO. They’ve worked really hard.

“Will has got, hopefully, a really bright future from what we see. When I came into the building, he was almost like a bit of a training player that they brought to the first team, and we just felt as though he could really help and contribute.

“It was great to get safe at the end of last season, as early as we did, because it gave us an opportunity to really blood him and see what he was all about. And he’s worked really hard in the off-season to be where he is now. We feel that there’s a lot of potential there.”

Shrewsbury have secured the highly-rated youngster on a contract running until 2029 - a deal that follows a similar agreement for fellow academy graduate England, who signed a three-year contract last August.

If there is one thing Cowan admires most about the teenager, it is his love and passion for the game.

He continued: “There’s a long way to go in a few areas. But the lad loves football, that’s one thing I would say.

“He loves and adores football. I think it’s his whole life. It’s all he thinks about. So, that’s a positive.

“As long as we can keep him concentrating on football, keep him developing, and trust in us, I’d like to think he's got a really bright future.”