Teenage midfielder Will Gray signs Shrewsbury Town contract after breakthrough

Teenage midfield star Will Gray has signed a new three-year contract with Shrewsbury Town.

Salop have rewarded the academy graduate with fresh terms after his breakthrough into the first team.

Boss Gavin Cowan was full of praise for the “Baston Hill boy”, who caught the eye with a string of appearances towards the end of last season.

Gray has continued his impressive progress during pre-season, featuring regularly and scoring twice in a victory over FC Isle of Man.

The 17-year-old has come through the ranks at Town alongside fellow midfielder Isaac England, with both now established members of the senior squad.

Gray made his first start for his hometown club against Oldham Athletic last season, marking his third senior appearance under Cowan in the space of a few weeks.

The midfielder had previously come off the bench against Bristol Rovers and Crewe Alexandra before earning a place in the starting XI just days after his 17th birthday.

Gray made his first-team debut on August 26 last year, replacing a teammate in an EFL Trophy tie against Chelsea Under-21s.

He featured again against Walsall in the same competition before making his League Two debut away at Bristol, a moment Cowan described as “really proud”.

Before his senior breakthrough, Gray was a regular during Town’s 2024/25 pre-season campaign and was on target against Bolton Wanderers.

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