Sam Ricketts speaks to Shewsweb about James Rowland's new deal.
Shrewsbury Town are delighted to announce that promising young midfielder James Rowland has put pen to paper and signed a new two-year pro deal with the club which will run until the end of the 2020/21 season.
Sam Ricketts spoke to Shrewsweb and gave us his thoughts on James signing a pro deal.
"James has taken his opportunity really, If you look at the first-team games he’s been involved in this year – especially when he started at Port Vale.
“His level of performance has more than earned his contract and he’s earned the right to get a pro contract. The hard work really starts for him now.
“He’s got an awful lot and he’s able to cover a lot of distance. He will get 11 or 12 kilometres a game.
“He more than competes on the pitch with his pure desire and willingness to work hard and want to improve.
“They are the attributes you need to achieve get that opportunity.
“The Port Vale game was a very good test for him. They had their first-team out who are all taller and supposedly stronger than him.
“When James gets on the pitch he lets his football do the talking and like I said, he’s more than out powered opposition who are bigger than him.
"He did very, very well and the natural progression is for him to earn his pro contract, he needs to improve now and get into that first-team.
“What we are trying to do is create that pathway for the youth to come up and train with the first-team on a regular basis.
“We want the youth coming into the first-team so we have to make sure there is a pathway.
“The youth of this club has to be a big thing. We have to develop players and have our own come through.
“We want players coming through and progressing here.”