Luke Leahy relishing his central Shrewsbury Town role
Luke Leahy is relishing his central role with Shrewsbury Town this season as he targets more consistency in the final 10 games.
Left-back-turned-midfielder Leahy is a leading contender to be named Town’s player of the season this term after a vastly impressive campaign.
The 29-year-old arrived from relegated Bristol Rovers as a recognised left-back but a month or so into the campaign found himself in the middle of the park as manager Steve Cotterill spotted a potential upgrade.
Leahy has been a revelation in midfield for Salop, where he has commanded a regular place aside from suspension and is influential both with and without the ball – and has chipped in with seven goals, the third-highest scorer.
“It does (feel like improving) but that’s just confidence, I think, playing week in week out,” said Leahy, who has made 40 appearances in all competitions this season.
“It’s a new position for me. I feel like in centre mid you can get involved in every bit of play, whereas at wing-back if the ball’s on the other side you’ve just got to worry about where your man is.
“Whereas when you’re centre mid, if the ball’s on the right side you can get involved over there.
“It’s been good, I’m enjoying it. I don’t know if to call myself a centre midfielder now, or anything like that! But I’m enjoying playing there each week and it was my objective at the start of the season to play every game if possible.
“A couple of suspensions have kept me out a few games but I’m just hoping to play each week for the last 10 games.”
Only Marko Marosi, Matthew Pennington and Elliott Bennett have started more often than Leahy this term. He has missed three games through yellow card-accumulated suspensions and once – at AFC Wimbledon in January – through a slight knee concern.
Leahy could have added to his goal tally as Town’s most dangerous threat last time out in the 0-0 draw at Cambridge.
He said: “Goals change games. I don’t want to put the kiss of death on it but the back door has been shut for a couple of weeks now.
“We need to start putting those chances away, even just one chance and we come away with a 1-0 win, against Rotherham we’d win 1-0.
“We need to start putting them away but we are getting in the right positions.”
