Forward Aiden O'Brien chatted to the media ahead of our League One clash with Oxford.
Town welcome the promotion-chasing U's to the Croud Meadow tomorrow looking to build on the victory we secured over Carlisle last time out.
Aiden spent the first half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Sutton.
But he returned to Town in January and has been a mainstay in our matchday squads ever since.
Speaking to the assembled media, Aiden praised head coach Paul Hurst and assistant Chris Doig for the way they have helped him integrate back into the group.
And the forward also talked about how much he is enjoying being a Shrewsbury player and his hopes for the remaining seven games of the campaign.
On how he feels since returning to the club in January:
“I feel brilliant. I am buzzing to be here. I feel fit, I feel really good and I’m training well.
“The manager and the assistant made it a smooth transition.
“From day one, he (Paul) pulled me in and said: ‘Whatever has happened – it doesn’t matter. I’m going to take you as I find you. I’m not going to read into anything.’
“I felt really good about that because sometimes you can be at a football club where things can have a knock-on effect.
“He (Paul) didn’t let that happen. It was straight down to football and business and that has helped me get back to where I am now.
“Now I'm just looking forward to getting out there and facing Oxford tomorrow.”
On his time at Sutton:
“It was an experience. There was an element (in the move) for me to be closer to home so I could see my family.
“Things were going on here and the right thing for me to do at that time was to get back home and regroup.
“I’m back here now. I’ve been working really hard under the new regime – everything has been really smooth and I feel really good.
“I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
On working for Paul Hurst:
“He is a top man, a top manager. He is good with all the lads, all the lads like him.
“There is a feel-good factor here. You can see that in training, you can see that at the stadium.
“My fitness has improved, 100%.
“I haven’t had the greatest of times here (since joining from Portsmouth in 2022). I have to admit that. And that has been down to many things that I don’t want to discuss.
“But I’m here now. I’ve been working really hard since I’ve been back.
“I’m smiling again. That is down to the manager, Doigy (assistant head coach Chris Doig), and the rest of the staff as well.
“I’m just really happy to be here and to be enjoying my football again – for Shrewsbury.”
On his role in the dressing room:
“I’ve got a few roles.
“When you have been around a few clubs – you understand a changing room and what it needs at different times.
“There are a few of us in there that get that, a few of us with experienced heads.
“A bit of banter here and there, a bit of winding people up. It always creates good morale.
“We have got a good balance with that.
“I feel like I bring a bit of that. A bit of messing around, but at the right time.
“We have got such a good balance in there – from young too old to inexperienced too experienced. It’s really good.”
On starting on the left wing against Carlisle:
“I played there for Millwall all my career really.
“It’s a familiar place for me. I have been there all of my career really.
“At Millwall, there were two strikers – Lee Gregory and Sean Morrison – who were irreplaceable.
“I found myself on the left and I had a great time there.
“I’m enjoying it. But whether I play left, right or through the middle – I just like to get on the ball. I like to run, I like to create and I like to score goals.
“Hopefully I can do that for the rest of the season and repay the time that I have been away in this little, short, season of mine.”
On how much he is enjoying being back:
“I love it. I love the town, I love the people here, the players, the staff.
“Everything about it at the moment, where I am now – at this precise moment in time, I love it.
“I have been smiling ever since I came back in January and I kind of don’t want the season to end.
“I just want it to keep going. It's been brilliant. Hopefully, now we can go seven unbeaten and that really will be happy days!”
