Shrewsbury v Sunderland - Match preview

Main, 28, spent around half of his childhood years at the Black Cats’ academy before being released aged 15 and will make a second home Shrewsbury debut against them tonight, writes Lewis Cox.

The centre-forward immediately joined Darlington, where he broke through in non-league and earned a move to Middlesbrough in 2011 – from whom he joined Shrewsbury on a brief month loan two years later.

But the powerful, battling frontman hails from a family of Toon supporters and can expect plenty of messages both before and after tonight’s Montgomery Waters Meadow clash.

“I started there way back, I think I was about eight when I signed, a long time ago!” Main said.

“I was 15 at the time (I left) and that’s when I went and signed for Darlington, I ended up in their first-team squad and spent a couple of years before going to Middlesbrough.”

Asked if the striker and his family were Sunderland supporters, the striker replied: “We’re not.

“It’s the other side. But listen, put all that stuff aside, when I step out on to the pitch I am there to win.

“I there to get three points and perform, it’s another game. I know there’s a bit of this and that behind, you can look at those things, but when I go on to the pitch I’ve only got one thing in my mind.

“One hundred per cent (I am after that first goal) – tonight.”

Lee Johnson’s Sunderland slipped out of the League One play-off places with last weekend’s 2-2 draw with MK Dons.

They have one once and drawn twice in three games since beating Shrewsbury – before Main joined the club – at the Stadium of Light last month.

“I’m sure for their agenda that is not good enough,” Main said of the visitors’ form. “And we’re going to try to put a spanner in their works in terms of where they want to be.

“The fans are brilliant in the North East, everybody loves their clubs and their football. It’s frustrating at the moment for everyone.

“We’re well aware of the size of the club but at the end of the day it’s 11 players against 11. We’ll roll our sleeves up and do what we need to do.”

Main signed a deal until the end of the season at Shrewsbury after leaving Aberdeen, where he had struggled for regular game time after a knee operation in the summer, from which he returned to fitness in November.

The striker, who has also had spells at Doncaster and Portsmouth, insists he is focusing on the here and now and not thinking about beyond the end of his contract.

“The opportunity to come and play football here was a big thing for me coming here,” he added.

“So really I just want to enjoy my football and see what comes off the back of that. “I’ve been a bit frustrated, especially this season, and I feel good about this and I’m happy to be here.

“I want to take each game as it comes and see what happens.

“Looking beyond this season is not something I’m focused on, it’s just from now until the end of the season I know there’s a lot of football and that was the main attraction.”

Shrewsbury skipper Ollie Norburn, meanwhile, will clock up his 100th appearance in blue and amber against the Black Cats this evening.

Norburn is set to achieve the milestone against a club he very nearly joined in January 2020.

Town stand-in boss Aaron Wilbraham said of the in-form skipper, who is under contract until the summer of 2022: “It’s a great achievement, you can rely on Norbs every week, he always give 110 per cent. He tears about the pitch, he demands standards and standards of other people.

“I think the manager always tells him to be the captain of the team. The gaffer’s been really impressed with him since taking over. To get the hundredth appearance at the club is a great achievement.”