"I think he's got a lot to offer the side," says Graham Turner
Graham Turner says Shrewsbury Town's latest capture Paul Parry took little persuading to make the move to the Greenhous Meadow.
Despite being offered a new contract by Preston North End, the former Wales international was keen to have a new challenge and is pleased to have linked up again with a man who was previously his manager at Hereford United.
Parry has since enjoyed good spells at Cardiff City and Preston, also collecting 12 caps for Wales, with Graham happy to have added his experience to his reshaped Town squad.
The manager said: "He had been offered a new contract by Preston but he wanted somewhere fresh and it suited him here.
"He knows the style I play, he knows the way I work, and it didn't take a lot of persuasion."
Graham has no doubts Parry will prove a good asset ahead of the exciting challenge of life in League One, with the player's ability to play in a number of roles making him particularly attractive.
"He's a very experienced player, a former Welsh international and he's still only 31," he said. "I've seen him play in a variety of positions and notably last season for Preston he played left back, wide on the left, wide on the right, and off a striker.
"I saw him play for Cardiff up front alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and he had to do his running as well as his own. But he scored two that day at The Hawthorns and I thought it was an incredible performance from him.
"From his days at Hereford, I obviously know him well enough. I know his attitude, I know his professionalism and I think he's got a lot to offer the side.
"Like Rob Purdie, he's got that versatility about him to fill in in a number of positions.
"He's got an open mind and I've got an open mind on where he finishes up playing."
Parry joins Shrewsbury fresh from a consistent season for Preston in which he notched up more games than any other player for the Deepdale club.
Graham added: "He's played a lot of Championship matches, international matches and most recently in the first division for Preston.
"If you look at their stats, he made the most appearances for Preston last season as he started 37 league games and seven cup ties.
"It's not as if he's been out of the reckoning of a first team as he's been playing for quite for quite a big club in the first division."