Daniel Udoh loving Ryan Bowman Shrewsbury link up
Shrewsbury striker Daniel Udoh has revealed the promising pre-season signs that hinted at an exciting partnership with Ryan Bowman.
The Town duo have impressed as a front two in recent performances, particularly in the 4-1 home win over Cambridge, where Udoh's work and Bowman's finishing proved too much for the U's.
Udoh, who is regularly lauded for his relentless work rate, admits having someone of a similar mindset alongside him makes him run even harder.
After an encouraging pre-season together, it took a couple of months for the duo to start together regularly in League One after summer signing Bowman was hit by a hamstring injury and a terrifying heart scare earlier in the campaign.
"We're quite similar in that we both work hard," said former AFC Telford United striker Udoh. "When you know you've got someone there who's going to work as hard as you, it will make you chase for anything.
"In pre-season when we were doing five-a-side and playing games in the training ground, whenever the manager put us together, our team would always win.
"I thought 'this is going to be nice' and that Cambridge game showed what we can do. Now it's just for us to keep doing that to help the team."
The duo are likely to lead the line for Town as they resume action at Steve Cotterill's first club in English management Cheltenham on Saturday, following a weekend off.
Udoh recalled how Bowman's hat-trick in the victory over Cambridge highlighted how quickly things in football can change.
He added: "It was a crazy week for him. I was speaking to him about it, one minute he was in the hospital getting shocked and the next he's scoring a hat-trick, it just shows how quick football can change.
"I'm buzzing for him, no-one deserves it more than him after the week or two he had."
Udoh has three goals for Town this term while former Exeter man Bowman leads the way with six, including a couple in the comfortable 5-1 FA Cup win at non-league Statford Town.
"I can't really say I'm a non-league player anymore – I've been playing in the league for three years!" Udoh smiled. "But as a player coming from those levels and now playing in League One, at first you want to prove you're good enough to play and score goals at this level.
"I'm just waiting for the goals to come – not to know that I've arrived – but so I can push on."
