Boss Sam Ricketts is Shrewsbury Town's modern manager, says hero Grant Holt
Shrewsbury Town hero Grant Holt believes Sam Ricketts’ desire to win will lead to a successful management career.
Retired striker Holt, whose goals led Town to the League Two play-offs 10 years ago, enjoyed regular battles on the pitch with defender Ricketts.
Holt, 38, sees the Shrewsbury boss as a modern-style manager with old-fashioned values of hard work.
The pair have since worked in punditry together and Holt – whose autobiography ‘A Real Football Life’ is out today – can only see the Welshman succeeding in management.
“Sam had been fantastic at Wrexham and is now getting his teeth into Shrewsbury,” Holt told the Shropshire Star.
“I’m sure it’ll be a big pre-season for them because I know him quite well and what he’s like as a character and person.
“He’ll demand the best and be looking for a big season next year.
“I played against Sam loads. I did a couple of games with BT Sport this year and had a few chats with him.
“He’s a good guy with a philosophy of what he wants to achieve.
“He was fortunate to have people like (former assistant) Graham Barrow working with him at Wrexham.
“But he’s one of the modern ones. One of those guys that when you played against him he was just a good old pro who wanted to achieve, work hard and win.”
The £170,000 Town paid for Holt’s services from Nottingham Forest 11 years ago stood as the club’s record transfer fee until Salop splashed out on midfielder Ollie Norburn last summer.
But the popular striker smashed in 28 goals to lead Paul Simpson’s team to a Wembley date against Gillingham.
Holt and Shrews were denied promotion in heartbreaking circumstances as Simeon Jackson netted a 90th-minute winner for the Gills.
But the frontman joined Norwich that summer and reached the Premier League, where he tormented defences for the Canaries.
Holt believes Ricketts’ manner of doing things the right way will lead to success.
He added: “When you get people like that and you play against them – and I did a few times when he was at Swansea – that once they’re in management you could just tell that if they do things right they’ll have a good career.”
