Shaun Whalley eight short of a Shrewsbury Town double century

Town's No.7 sits on 192 appearances in all competitions for Salop. When he makes it a double century in eight games' time, he will become just the second player to achieve so since switching to Oteley Road.

Former team-mate Mat Sadler is the only one to hit the number for Town since 2007.

The lack of company in the modern day '200 club' reiterates just what an achievement it is for the 32-year-old, who remains one of Shrews' more exciting attacking options in full flight.

There have been stacks of highs along the way for the mazy dribbler, and here we pick out five moments that the former non-league star – who admits he only kicked on and took football seriously later in his career – that stand out most.

League bow worth the wait

After being brought to the club by Micky Mellon for Town's return to League One, Whalley had to buy his time under Mellon at the beginning of the 2015/16 season.

The winger was a regular substitute in the opening months of the campaign, coming from the bench eight occasions before his full league debut (his full debut for the club came a few weeks earlier at Grimsby in the FA Cup) at Crewe's Alexandra Stadium on December 28.

And Whalley's patience was rewarded in an open encounter at Crewe, where he put in a busy display in a bid to catch his new manager's eye.

Better than catch the eye, Whalley stole the headlines in a close away win for Salop that threatened to swing this way then that before his dramatic added time winner – a curled left footed strike that nestled into the far corner to add to Larnell Cole's opener in the 2-1 win.

Good things followed next month for the Merseysider, who followed it up with a similarly late winner on the road at Burton.

Good times ahead?

Whalley continued his theme of late goals in his second season with the club, sealing a 2-0 victory over visitors Oxford in the 90th minute to secure a first three points in League One for new boss Paul Hurst in mid-November.

Striker AJ Leitch-Smith had broke the deadlock early on for the hosts but Whalley's goal, dramatically put away on the break as Town weathered a late U's storm, was a snapshot of the winger's electric pace and dribbling skills.

It was the winger's first goal of the season and he did not net again until late February, finishing the campaign with just three goals, which he would go on improve the following year.

Whalley shone in Hurst's system of two wingers, with Alex Rodman deployed on the other flank from that January, and the wideman's performances blossomed as he gained confidence while playing in the third tier for the first time in his career.

Stunner in unforgeable year

Possibly Whalley's best goal to date in blue and amber came at Stadium MK on a brisk but sunny December afternoon.

Whalley was in good individual form having netted goals in an FA Cup success over Morecambe and EFL Trophy win at Port Vale but he saved his best for an important league contribution in Buckinghamshire.

Hurst's underdogs were the talk of the third tier but their outstanding start to the campaign had been checked somewhat after a surprising defeat at struggling Bury and home reverse to Bradford.

MK Dons were on course to deal Salop a third league defeat on the spin after Peter Pawlett's second-half goal but Whalley rescued a point in style with four minutes to play.

Whalley, outside the box to the right some 30 yards out, sped past his marker and unleashed a rocket into the far top corner. His outstanding form that year continued as Town made the play-off final, with 12 goals and double-figures for assists.

Dream ties

At 32, Whalley would have been forgiven to think the prospect of facing the club he has loved since a boy, Liverpool, was long gone.

A former Anfield season ticket holder, he still tries to watch Jurgen Klopp's men when possible but this season's remarkable FA Cup journey gave the winger and his team-mates the opportunity to lock horns with the runaway Premier League leaders.

Whalley had opportunities to be the Shrewsbury hero in the first tie at Montgomery Waters Meadow. Twice he was denied by visiting keeper Adrian with the score at 0-0.

But, after Jason Cummings so memorably salvaged an Anfield replay it was the chance Whalley had always dreamed of – and he so nearly had the moment of a lifetime to celebrate after converted a close-range header in front of 8,000 Shrewsbury fans at the Anfield Road end, only for VAR to decide that Scott Golbourne's toe was offside 30 seconds earlier.

...and to come?

Town fans will hope Whalley still has at least another season in him at the Meadow where, with injury fortune on his side, he could target 250 games. But the attacker is not the type of revel in personal achievements.

He remains eight appearances away from 200 and may get the opportunity to hit that figure as Sam Ricketts' still have 10 games of their League One campaign to finish.

Whalley signed a new two-year contract last summer and was made an important part of Ricketts' plans as an attacking force. He has at times played centrally, in a role Whalley played as a youngster. but there could be opportunities moving forward to play his more familiar wide role.

While the No.7 was recovering from a muscle injury before lockdown, Ricketts had adopted a wide forward line that could suit the attacker.