Shrewsbury Town boss expects to fight off suitors for his stars
Shrewsbury boss Paul Hurst is bracing himself for interest in some of his star turns come January.
With Town flying high at the top of League One, the Montgomery Waters Meadow chief fully expects scouts and rival managers up and down the country to be taking note of his charges.
After bringing players to Town from the lower reaches of the pyramid, Hurst believes certain members of his squad have impressed enough to catch the eye of clubs higher up the rankings.
And he admits it is something that Shrewsbury will have to contend with when the winter window opens on January 1.
"We've made a great start. If, along the way, there's some speculation that comes my way – that's only a credit to the team," said Hurst.
"I'm sure there's a lot of players in that team and the squad that have interest in themselves.
"That's something I'm bracing myself for further down the line come January. I'm just pleased we're in the hat and looking forward to the draw."
The Town chief added: "I'm glad we got the (Aldershot) victory because, had we not, some questions posed and things raised elsewhere could question your commitment or whether we prepared correctly.
"I can assure you the team was prepared 100 per cent. My focus is doing well with Shrewsbury Town."
Hurst reiterated his ambition as a manager, but insisted the full focus was on trying to achieve that target with his current club, after reports had him linked with the role at Sunderland.
He said: "It's so hypothetical. All I've said is that I'm ambitious and I want to manage as high as possible.
"The way that we're going, I might have a chance of doing that at Shrewsbury Town, but as I've said – that's a long way off with so far in the season to go."
