Summerfield hopeful Shrews can progress

Shrewsbury town today launched their pre-season training with new-boy Luke Summerfield confident the club can challenge for Championship football in the future.

Summerfield was one of six arrivals linking up with their new team-mates as the countdown to the campaign began.

The 24-year-old has past experience of playing in the Championship with Plymouth and is confident that is a level Shrewsbury can strive for over the coming years.

"We have come up from League Two and the first aim is to try and build on that success," he said. "But Shrewsbury have got a good solid base as a club and hopefully, down the line, we can go on to achieve Championship football.

"I'm just buzzing about getting started at Shrewsbury and the chance to play at a higher level again."

Summerfield, who had a week training with Chelsea alongside then Plymouth team-mate and now Newcastle ace Dan Gosling in 2007, spent a brief period on trial with Town last pre-season as he battled back to full fitness after suffering a knee injury at Plymouth.

He plied his trade at Cheltenham last season, claiming the Players' Player of the Year award for the beaten play-off finalists.

Summerfield's latest move means he continues to follow in the footsteps of his father Kevin, who also played for Plymouth and made 192 appearances for Town between 1990 and 1996, including a spell as a coach under Fred Davies.

"I can't shake him off," quipped Luke of his continued links with his dad.

"When I told him of Shrewsbury's interest he smiled and he is chuffed I've signed."