Tom Flanagan has been chatting about life at Shrewsbury Town following his unnecessary move away from Sunderland on a free transfer, which left us short in central defence…
HAPPY AT SAFC
"I was really, really enjoying my football and I think that's why I was playing well, because I was really enjoying it, I really liked the manager (LJ). I know the manager here spoke to the previous assistant manager (Jamie McAllister) and that's how this came about, they were like 'this would be a good fit'. I'm just looking to be out there (playing) and enjoying it. There's loads of pressure in football people don't realise. Football isn't particularly hard but playing with pressure is hard.”
PRESSURE
"The previous manager (LJ) had done really well in taking the pressure off myself and others, we'd taken lots of young kids on, for them to make their mistakes. But he took the pressure off and playing without that made me really enjoy my football."
SHREWS
"I've noticed that in the games here, I've really enjoyed it, every day, it's difficult to enjoy football sometimes and I think I'm in a headspace now, a club here where I can progress. People will look and think 'oh he's settling for what he can settle for and will stay here and they'll play in League One' but that's not what I'm thinking at all. I'm not from Shrewsbury, I've not come home to play football, but I just come here to enjoy my football and I think the more I do the more we'll move on as a group. That togetherness, once we're all enjoying it, we'll go in the right direction. People don't consider that as a factor, when it is a huge one. Do they enjoy the football? The system? Working with the manager? Coming to the training ground? Their living style? Would they commit to the area? It's such a nice area, why would you not?"
