Shrewsbury taking a ‘patient’ approach with forgotten forward

The 23-year-old was signed by Salop in the January transfer window after joining from local non-league side AFC Telford United - he put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Croud Meadow. 

But the youngster has seldom featured since his arrival - making one substitute appearance in Shrewsbury’s 3-2 loss to Bolton in the middle of February. 

Dinanga has not been included in the matchday squad for the last five League One clashes. 

And Ainsworth says there have been ‘moments’ where the former Coventry man has impressed in training, but it is about consistency for the youngster. 

“Ricardo came in from Telford, which is a big jump,” he said. “It was always going to be a patient one with him. He's got to get up to the speed of professional football in League One.

“There's been moments where you think ‘Yep’, but I think it is consistency with Ricardo. I want it every day.

“We've had a couple of chats in private, which I won't go into detail with, but I've told him exactly what I'd like to see from him. It would be unfair to put somebody in who I don't think is ready yet, and I'll never hang anyone out to dry.

“All of them will say, I'm ready, get me in the first team. But honestly, it can be a cruel world if you are not.

“I think that me and Dobbo (Richard Dobson) have proved over the years that we get players up to speed before we stick them in.

“Sometimes we have to pull them out just as much, especially the young boys. 

“We have done it with quite a few of our young boys, first-time loans. You have to pull them out just to take them out of the firing line, then get them back in when the time is right.

“I think we pride ourselves on that. And Ricardo's right in that, cracking lad, brilliant attitude, wants to learn, wants to work hard. 

“Just got to trust us that it'll be the right time for him to go in when we put him in.”