Paul Hurst reveals Shrewsbury came out on top amid Jordan Rossiter interest
Paul Hurst has revealed Shrewsbury Town trumped interest from elsewhere to land the signature of trialist midfielder Jordan Rossiter.
Rossiter, 27, signed a one-year contract at Croud Meadow during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at neighbours AFC Telford United after two eye-catching trial displays.
He departed the pitch at Telford’s SEAH Stadium, where Shrewsbury secretary Jayne Bebb was present to allow the Liverpudlian midfielder to sign his contract.
Tenacious midfield battler Rossiter, a Liverpool academy graduate who played for Rangers between 2016 and 2020, has endured tough luck with injury over the last couple of years – notably a knee infection following surgery – but Hurst is chuffed with his capture.
“It was nice that I think he knows what he’s good at,” Hurst said. “He does that and does that really well.
“There was at least one other option for him. But he said from the start once I’d spoken to him that he wants to be here and wanted to win the contract here.
“That is obviously what he’s done but he definitely had another option. He’s been elsewhere (at Stockport County on trial) and had an option there, but he didn’t get the right feeling from it.
“But from when we first spoke, I said how I’d watched the last four games from last season and he was pleased to hear that. I think it gave him the comfort he knew what kind of player he was. I think before he’d gone somewhere and they didn’t know what he was about.
“I find that hard to understand but I told him what I liked from his performances and he’s come in and done very similar things.”
Rossiter has spent two years with each Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers in the EFL. He played just 21 league games with the latter and made just four appearances at the end of the season after more than a year on the sidelines.
He has looked fit and busy in midfield for Town in trial clashes against Derby and Telford.
Rossiter said: “I’m delighted to get it over the line, I can’t wait for the season to get started.
“The gaffer’s a really impressive fella, him and Doigy (Chris Doig), I’ve really enjoyed it so far and I know they’ve had success at this level before. I feel like I can be a big part in the way they want the season to go.”
