Ex-Shrewsbury Town skipper Ben Davies impressed by Paul Hurst
Former Shrewsbury captain Ben Davies has hailed the impact of Paul Hurst, the man who signed him for Grimsby 12 months ago, in reviving Town’s fortunes.
From having worked with Hurst and his assistant Chris Doig at Blundell Park in the early months of last season, Davies has a healthy respect for both of them.
The ex-Shrewsbury midfielder watched with interest from afar how the managerial duo lifted Town off the bottom of League One to eventually finish in 18th place last season.
Now he knows Hurst and Doig will be setting their sights higher this season.
Davies said: “I follow Shrewsbury – I always have done with my old clubs – and I had a good three years there, some good times.
“It’s great to see the club doing well and, obviously, now the ties I’ve got with Hursty and Doigy, it was good to see the club stay up.
“Hopefully they’ll have a good crack at League One next season.”
Davies, 36, added: “They’re very good at man management, they get the best out of their players.
“He’s got the perfect balance really, Hursty, because he can be ruthless, he knows what he wants, and if you’re not doing it for him you won’t play.
“The man management side’s very impressive and his coaching’s very enjoyable.
“Shrewsbury were struggling and had lost their way a little bit when they took over, but it was no surprise to me that they got them out of trouble.”
Davies expects League One to be a strong division once again.
He added: “It is a strong division and it’s a competitive league. There’s some good teams.
“Obviously, Sheffield United have gone out now so it’s maybe opened it up a bit more, but then you’ve got three strong clubs coming up in Portsmouth, Doncaster and Plymouth. I hope they do really well.”
