Nicky Wroe targets play-offs with Shrewsbury Town

The Preston midfielder, who scored seven goals in 56 league appearances during a previous spell which included promotion to League One in 2011-12, arrived on a month's loan yesterday and was set to return to the Town line-up in today's clash at Brentford.

Shrewsbury went into the weekend in 15th place in League One but the 28-year-old hopes his influence over the next six games – he is due to return to Deepdale on December 1 – can help an improvement in results to gatecrash the top six.

"They've had an indifferent start but there's no reason why a club like Shrewsbury can't push on and establish a bit of momentum," said Wroe.

"When you look at the teams who got into the play-offs last time, you can be there or thereabouts if you have a good, steady season.

"I've been in and around the game a few years now, so I'm coming to the peak of my career and hopefully I can use that to help the lads who are already here to benefit the team.

"As soon as I heard about the opportunity, I jumped at the chance. Having been here before, I've got good memories of the place because I really enjoyed my time here so hopefully I can replicate that.

"That period in my career was really good for me. I played some really good football – that's how I got the move to Preston."

First of all though, Wroe is looking to get some much-needed match practice after just one league start and four substitute appearances for Preston this season.

But he insists he is ready to return to action with Luke Summerfield struggling with a groin injury that required an injection yesterday after he came off following an hour's action in Tuesday's 1-1 draw against Colchester.

"I haven't played as much as I'd like so I saw the manager Simon Grayson and said I'd like to explore the opportunity of getting some games," he said.

"I spoke to my agent and, as it happened, he had a meeting with Graham (Turner) recently and he mentioned it to him.

"I just want to be part of Graham's plans and hopefully help the team go on a good run.

"As I left Preston, I spoke to the manager and said, at this stage of my career, I need to be playing games and I saw this as an opportunity to get some game time and take it from there."

Wroe, whose contract expires at the end of the season, admits this is a shop-window opportunity.

But he isn't looking beyond the month's loan spell at the moment.

"I'm just going to see this month through first, play as well as I can and then go from there," he said.

"There's a quarter of the season gone so whenever you're not playing people tend to forget about you. But hopefully I can get back playing again and put myself in people's thoughts."

Wroe, whose last outing was a Johnstone's Paint Trophy 2-0 defeat against Oldham on October 8, insisted he is ready to play in today's trip to Griffin Park.

"I like to keep myself fit – you have to do that even if you're not playing to stay as sharp as possible," he said.

"I've been doing that so if I get a chance to play, I'll be ready."

Wroe bagged eight goals in 35 league games for Preston last season. And Turner wants a similar ratio for Shrewsbury if possible.

"Nicky's a powerful midfield player who can get inside the opposition box and score goals," he said.