Young defender makes switch from The Royals
New arrival Zak Jules is keen to repay the faith of manager Paul Hurst after he signed a two-year deal at Shrewsbury Town.
The Scotland U20 international signs from Reading for an undisclosed fee and he revealed the stability of a permanent contract lured him to the club after a series of loan deals.
“I’ve just come off the back of a loan to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, and just that taste of first team football made me want it more, so coming here on a permanent two-year deal is mentally better for me.”
A defender with a commanding presence – he stands at 6’3” – and capable of playing anywhere on the left side of the backline, Jules explains how Hurst’s interest is motivation for a successful season with the Town.
“If the gaffer wasn’t keen on bringing me in then it wouldn’t have been as appealing, because you always want to be somewhere where you’re wanted and valued.”
He continued: “He’s shown that to me and hopefully I can repay him when we get started and we can get some good results and have a really good season together.
“It’s down to me to gain the manager’s trust and to prove that I am good enough to play in his side.”
Jules will join up with his new teammates for training on Monday, just over two weeks after finishing third with Scotland at the prestigious Toulon Tournament.
The defender was a part of a squad including Chelsea’s Ruben Sammut and RB Leipzig’s £13m signing Oliver Burke, and they beat the likes of Brazil and Indonesia before being knocked out by eventual winners England in the semi-finals.
He’s keen to get going with his new side and he hopes that a summer full of game time will prove a positive going into pre-season.
“It hopefully means I’ll need less work, and it [pre-season] won’t feel as hard when I get going, so hopefully it’ll stand me in good stead.
“I can’t wait to get started, to get the pre-season games out of the way, hopefully I can get as fit as I can be and be ready for the new season.”