Shrewsbury Town new boy Jordan Shipley focused and ready to run
New Shrewsbury midfielder Jordan Shipley is not concerned about the hard yards of pre-season after the Town squad reported back for training yesterday.
Energetic left-footed midfielder Shipley, 24, was Salop and Steve Cotterill’s first signing of the summer when he checked in from Coventry City in May, a week after last season’s finale.
Shipley reported for day one of pre-season at Sundorne Castle – where Town were greeted by two more new faces, both with Sky Blues links of their own as Tom Bayliss, who switches to Salop from Preston having previously come through at Coventry and Julien Dacosta, on a season-long loan deal from the CBS Arena.
Shipley, however, has been a Town player for some eight weeks and admits he has been counting down the days until he can begin pre-season proper with his new club, featuring a week at Sundorne before a summer camp in Spain beginning Saturday.
“Every pre-season is tough – we had a few tough seasons at Coventry as well – but I am looking forward to it and seeing how hard we can run,” said Shipley.
“I’m looking forward to getting away (to Spain) and getting some good work done out there.
“I’m not really a fan of the heat but I’m looking forward to getting away.
“I like to get in the box, score goals, create chances but also do the other side of the game as well.”
Shipley is known to be a hard-working and full-blooded midfield player with energy to burn. He links up with fellow midfielder Bayliss, who has spent three years at Preston including a loan at Wigan having signed a four-year deal at Deepdale, after the pair came through as juniors at the Sky Blues previously.
With Dacosta arriving on loan from Mark Robins’ Championship Coventry, there is a distinct Sky Blues flavour to Town’s recruitment thus far.
“I’ve played against Luke Leahy a couple of times during our careers and Penno (Matt Pennington) was on loan at Coventry so I remember him from there but yeah, they’re a great bunch of lads and I’m looking forward to getting going,” Shipley added on the Town squad he has joined.
“It’s taking a little bit of getting used to but all the lads have welcomed me really well and the drive up with Marko (Marosi) and Luke was good too.
“We’ve got a few more of those coming but I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens.”
Cotterill and his staff with put Shrews and the new additions through their paces at their Sundorne base this week before the squad and staff fly to Valencia on Saturday. They face Qatari top-flight opposition Qatar SC in Benidorm next week, in a fixture open to supporters.
A first chance to see Shipley, Bayliss and Dacosta in action on UK shores will be at National League North neighbours AFC Telford United in two weeks’ time.
Town will press on with their recruitment drive, with a left wing-back thought to be high on the list of the manager’s priorities.
Shipley added: “I’ve been buzzing and waiting to get started for the past three or four weeks now and I’m really ready to get going and hopefully we have a good season.
“They’re (the facilities) great. It’s a big space, there’s a big gym, a big changing room, and the canteen is lovely as well.”
