Tom Bloxham hails coaches’ work in transforming him into central Shrewsbury striker

The 18-year-old made his debut in the 2020/21 season, but it was last campaign he really made his mark for Town, scoring five goals in 41 appearances for the club.

When Bloxham first joined the club, he was a winger.

But when he started training with the first team, Town boss Steve Cotterill helped the youngster to be more versatile, by teaching him how to play as a striker, a role which the manager performed himself during his playing career.

And Bloxham has paid tribute to work done by Cotterill and Town’s assistant manager Aaron Wilbraham, also a former striker, for helping him to play centre-forward.

He said: “I wasn’t a striker before I came into the first team, but the gaffer has helped me with so many things.

“My positioning up front has been a big thing. It has got better over the past few months.

“But it can be better still.

“Alby (Aaron Wilbraham) is the same. He does a lot for me.

“It helps them both being former strikers.

“They are always giving me advice, and I do my best to take it on board.

“All the players here are really helpful as well, from the goalkeepers to the strikers.

They’re all giving me good advice.

“I just want to kick on. I still have so much to learn, so to have them helping me is useful.”

Bloxham signed a new three-year contract in the summer, which has the option of an extra year at Town’s discretion.

This was due to his performances last season – including a sensational bicycle-kick – his first goal for the club.

And the forwarded reflected on his breakthrough season, and that goal against Gillingham, which at the time was a hugely important goal for Town.

“At the start, I was nervous,” he said about last season.

“But the more games I played, the better I felt.

“I am up against pros that have been in the game a long time, but I just play my game and try to adapt.

“Of course, the goal at Gillingham, my first goal, was a real highlight.

“When I saw it hit the back of the net I didn’t realise it was me, and it didn’t really hit me until I got up and celebrated.

“I was running around thinking ‘what have I just done?’.

“The fans were celebrating, and that is when it really hit.

“All my friends and family were buzzing for me, it was an incredible moment.”

The forward is now hoping he can ‘kick on’ this season.

He said: “I know there is so much more to come from me.

“I have got to kick on. I am determined to be the best player I can be, and do the best I can for this club and the team.”