'I was never accepted': Former Shrewsbury captain Tamika Mkandawire on tough year at the Meadow

The experienced defender, who had over 350 EFL appearances to his name before arriving at the Meadow, was part of the side that suffered relegation from League One.

Mkandawire, who went on to play in the USA with Tampa Bay Rowdies after his departure from Shrewsbury, has opened up about his difficult 12 months in Shropshire, in a guest episode on the Shropshire Star podcast Shrews Views.

The 40-year-old, who now works as a strength coach for NBA and NFL players in California, revealed that his spell at Salop was the first time he had taken abuse from supporters in his career, and he believes he was never fully accepted having previously played over 100 times for Hereford.

He explained: "I'd played against Shrewsbury before and I knew the fans could be great if you get them onside.

"It was a tough year to be honest. It wasn't like we were going into games and not trying, things just weren't coming off.

"Overall it didn't go well for me. It probably wasn't a good fit, given my history with Hereford.

"Even when I was playing well, I didn't feel like I was really accepted by the fans for whatever reason, and being captain in that is a challenging environment.

"It was the first time I had taken abuse from fans, and I played for Millwall for three years!

"It was a challenge, and it just didn't feel like I was accepted for whatever reason."

The defender penned a two-year deal at the club but after being told by new boss Micky Mellon he wasn't going to be part of the club's plan moving forward, he departed the Meadow in 2014 for a move to the USA.

Mkandawire's full interview on Shrews Views will be available from Wednesday on Soundcloud, Spotify and Apple.