Sam Ricketts: Shrewsbury striker Leon Clarke needs time

The 35-year-old former Wolves frontman checked in from Premier League side Sheffield United last week having played just over 30 minutes of league football in over a year.

Clarke, who signed a one-year deal, played half-an-hour on his Town bow from the bench at Plymouth last Saturday and is in line for a home debut against Gillingham this weekend.

But Shrews chief Ricketts, a former Wolves team-mate of Clarke’s, warns the experienced frontman will take some time to reach optimum fitness.

“It’ll take more than that (a few weeks), probably, because he’s just not had a pre-season,” said Ricketts.

“We have to keep blooding him and getting him up to speed as quick as we can.

“A bit like Ollie Norburn, he came on on Saturday and made another really good contribution. When we get the likes of Norbs, Clarkey and a few others up to full fitness it brings a lot of quality, experience and leadership to the side.”

Clarke has scored more than 150 goals in a professional career spanning 17 years after making his senior debut for Wolves against Darlington in 2003. “I don’t see why not,” Ricketts said when asked if Clarke can be Town’s main man for goals this term.

“We have a number of games coming thick and fast and we can pick and chose whether we use him.

“He’s in extremely good shape, he’s lean – I think on the signing pictures that went out it was actually just a very windy day so it was blowing his shirt around. He’s in excellent shape and the more we get him training, the more games we can get into him and the better he’ll be.”

The boss added: “I think you can see in his game that he has quality and he understands the game very well.

“But the most important thing is he’s still hungry and has that desire to score goals.

“Ultimately, he’s a goalscorer and that’s what he feeds off.

“I’m delighted to get him in and think he’ll bring an awful lot on and off the pitch.”

Town defender Aaron Pierre, who has taken captain’s role in the absence of Ollie Norburn, feels that Clarke’s addition is a sign of Town’s ambition.

Pierre said: “He’s a great addition. His experience is going to help us in the final third.

“He’s a very good goalscorer, a poacher inside the box and a big lad so he can be a targetman.

“It gives us confidence. First impressions, you can see the presence he has.

“Funnily enough a couple of days before he signed he was on Sky Sports scoring for Sheffield United. Even watching him you could see what he was made of.

“The experience he has, he’ll help and guide the lads in the final third with little pointers which will make a lot of difference.

“We’re trying to head in the right direction, push on and improve from last season and score more goals.”