Gaffer pleased to see Shelis sign a pro-deal
Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst is delighted that Christos Shelis has signed his first professional deal with the club.
Christos has signed a two-year-deal which will keep him at the Montgomery Waters Meadow until 2019.
“We brought him in and it was a frustrating time for him because he couldn’t play as he was waiting for international clearance, but he made a good impression”, Paul told ShrewsWeb.
“Ever since pre-season we’ve had him training with ourselves and the best compliment I can give him is that he hasn’t looked out of place in the slightest.
“He did very well in pre-season. Obviously, it’s a different step-up to proper league games, but he’s been on the bench a couple of times and we’ve been keen to get him some youth team games.
“Physically you can see him developing. He looks like he’s grown a little bit. The weight’s programme is benefitting him massively and he will continue to get bigger and stronger.
“There’s still a lot of development for him to continue with, but he’s certainly got a good chance of having a career in the game.”
Christos showed his ability on the pitch during Town’s pre-season games, but Paul is also impressed by the Cypriot’s character.
“He’s got the nice balance of being confident, but he knows where he’s at”, Hurst said.
“He’s certainly not shy. He will engage in conversation, he’s very polite, well-mannered and he’s settled in very well.
“He’s comfortable on the ball, passes the ball properly, talks a lot on the pitch for someone so young. His will to win, his desire to improve is there and he’s been a real standout in those terms.
“If he continues like he is then he has a hell of a chance of having a good career in the game.”
Shelis is yet to make his full first-team debut, but Hurst didn’t rule out him playing a part in the near future.
“I think we might see him pretty soon”, admitted Paul.
“We’ve got a couple of games in a certain competition that will perhaps give us an opportunity to have a look at him.
“I keep saying that we haven’t got a massive squad and if we get a couple of injuries he certainly comes into our thinking.
“He’s just got to keep doing what he’s doing, keep working at his game and from his point of view I’m sure he hopes he can start very soon.
“But, the fact that at his age he is getting the opportunity to train and better himself with the first-team is credit to him and he sees it as a massive opportunity.”