Paul Hurst on the hunt for proven winners at Shrewsbury Town

The Greenhous Meadow boss wants to boost his blue and amber squad with a winning mentality and is keen not to assemble a squad that are used to losing matches.

Hurst regularly found himself at the top of the National League table with former employers Grimsby Town, where the pressure was on the Yorkshireman to deliver the Football League back to Blundell Park.

Last season was his first taste of a relegation scrap as a manager, and Hurst is keen not to pack his squad with players that have been through the experience of dropping down the leagues.

“What I would say is that I don’t, in an ideal world, want to end up with a squad or team of players that have just tasted relegation because what mentality would they have?” said Hurst.

“Have they become used to losing games?

“At my previous club I spoke about getting players that had experienced promotion.

“I like that fact but it’s not the be-all-and-end-all. I also sign players that have suffered relegation – you have to take each one on its merit.

“I wouldn’t really want to fall into the trap of getting a group that had become used to losing.”

In a bid to ensure that another relegation battle is not on the cards following two seasons of flirting with the drop, Hurst is willing to follow the methods used by bosses elsewhere.

The Town chief referenced Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner, who leads his team out at Wembley next Monday for a clash with Reading in the Championship play-off final.

“I watched Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield. There was talk of how Wagner put his team together, he wanted players that were used to winning. A centre-half in the second tier of German football has come in and done great.

“That would be nice if you can get that.”

Meanwhile, Town have bolstered their youth ranks by signing Rory Huntback from Hereford FC.

The teenager spent time on loan at Kington Town last season.