Aaron Pierre: Shrewsbury Town focused on improving

Town will bring down the curtain on a tumultuous season at Crewe on Sunday. They will either finish 17th or, if Burton lose elsewhere, can climb to 16th in League One.

But Cotterill and his staff completed the main objective of securing the club's League One status for a seventh year on the spin, a target which appeared a tough one when the manager took over a side second-bottom in late November.

And, after Shrews' survival push came without their stricken manager – Cotterill spent four months in hospital and recovering from illness at home – influential defender Pierre insists next season is geared towards lifting the team further up the division.

"It's been a hard, hard season. We're safe so that's the most important thing, but it's been a hard season," said Pierre, who completed games against Oxford and Ipswich in his comeback from three months injured.

"There's been up and down situations throughout the time, but overall we've come out positively and next season we will have to go again and make sure we can improve and improve and improve.

"I don't want to say we're trying to push for promotion, or play-offs or anything. But internally we want to do the best we can, so we'll see."

Pierre was named Town player of the year last season and was in fine form after Cotterill's appointment only to break down with a calf injury in early February.

He returned for one match in early April but knew the problem was not quite right and returned to rehab.

The defender, who still has another year to run on his Montgomery Waters Meadow deal, added: "It was one where I tried to come back, it didn't work out and I broke down a little bit again.

"I just had to regroup and make sure that I do things a little bit better. With AJ (fitness coach Andy Johnson), the physios, Beechy (Jordan Beech) and Gregg (Jones), they made sure I was 100 per cent the second time round.

"And I've played back-to-back games and hopefully I'll be fully fit for the last game as well."

Pierre said of the manager's return to fixtures: "I'm happy that he's healthy and raring to go, you can hear him in the stands shouting. We've heard him on the phone at half-time.

"He's such a confidence-booster, his presence alone is a natural boost for us.

"Alby (Aaron Wilbraham) and the other staff members have done what they could to influence us the way he'd want on the sidelines. So a massive thank you to them as well."