Benjamin van den Broek staying at Town

Read more in today's Shropshire Star

Dutch winger Benjamin van den Broek has become the third out-of-contract Shrewsbury Town player to officially commit his future to the League Two club.

The 22-year-old was handed a short-term contract by former boss Paul Simpson in February and impressed enough in five starts and six substitute appearances to earn a new one-year-deal.

Club officials indicated van den Broek – who scored in the final home game against Morecambe – was on the brink of signing over the weekend, and the formalities have now been completed.

He joins Kevin McIntyre and Harry Hooman in agreeing fresh deals, and leaves Australian defender Shane Cansdell-Sherriff as the only out-of-contract player yet to make a decision on his future.

Meanwhile, work on improving to the Greenhous Meadow pitch was beginning today.

Shocking

"The idea is to get rid of the problems we had last season with leather jackets and thatch which, at times, made the playing surface difficult to play on," said club secretary Jon Harris.

"We had a pretty shocking winter as well which didn't help but the aim now is to get the playing surface as good as it was in the first season."

Meanwhile, the final line-up for the South West Challenge Cup, which Shrewsbury will attend in North Devon in mid-July, has been announced.

Championship side Doncaster Rovers and Kilmarnock, of the Scottish Premier League, are the headline entries, while Accrington Stanley and Leyton Orient are the other Football League clubs involved.

The non-League teams competing will be Rushden & Diamonds, Havant & Waterlooville, Eastleigh, Barnstaple Town, Bideford, Ilfracombe and Truro.

By JAMES GARRISON