“Knew my chance would come” - Isaac Lee opens up on “challenging” wait for Shrewsbury Town debut

Isaac Lee admits the waiting game was mentally challenging - but he is now relishing his opportunity at Shrewsbury Town.

The defender had to wait months for his debut after joining from Welsh Premier side Flint Town United. The 22-year-old was named on the bench seven times before making his Town and Football League bow at Crawley Town.

Lee impressed and retained his place in the starting XI for Salop’s final home game of the season, and the centre-back is now eager to show what he can do.

Asked how he has found life under boss Gavin Cowan so far, he said: “It's been good. I think I would have liked to play a little bit sooner, but you could tell what he's about.

“He's very big on ‘trust the process’, and throughout the process he's been talking to me quite a lot.

“Not even just the gaffer, Dave Edwards, Jamie Haynes, everyone around the club.

“I knew my chance would come. It was just about grabbing it with both hands.”

He added: “It's been quite challenging mentally. But I think I've always kind of had setbacks, so I know how to deal with things.

“I think that's helped quite a lot. Obviously I just trained hard every day.”

After moving to England at a young age, Lee came through the youth ranks at Stoke City before gaining experience at several non-league clubs.

Standing at 6ft 4in, the 22-year-old has already showcased his defensive capabilities, helping Salop hold firm in draws against Crawley and Fleetwood Town.

Lee has also demonstrated his attacking intent, bringing the ball forward from defence on several occasions. He even drew loud cheers from supporters after a driving run last Saturday that won a free-kick.

Reflecting on his first appearance, Lee said: “It was amazing. Obviously I was quite nervous the first five to 10 minutes, but I think when I got used to the game and got comfortable.

“I think I could do what I'm really good at, so yeah, I really enjoyed it.”