Shrewsbury Town’s academy has seen a number of players produced and play for the clubs first-team and become main stays in the match day 18.
A number of recent academy graduates have already debut and featured for the Town first-team on a number of occasions and continue to push themselves into the managers thoughts.
Ryan Sears
Ryan Sears is one of Town’s more developed academy graduates and has featured for Town on a number of occasions this season. Making his EFL debut at home to Bristol Rovers in September and coming on as a first half substitue in the Emirates FA Cup game at Wolves.
Sears was on the bench during the 2016 Christmas period and was one of five second-year scholars to be offered their first professional deals at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Ryan spent the majority of the 2017/18 season on-loan with hometown club Newtown, where he was named Players Player of the Year.
The right-back, who can also play centre-back, has also impressed this season with a solid performance on his debut and firing his first goal for the club against Port Vale in the Checkatrade Trophy. The defender has also enjoyed time out on-loan with AFC Telford where the 20-year-old impressed at the New Bucks Head.
Ryan Barnett
Having first joined Town’s Academy at the age of 7, Barnett was only 17 at the time of signing his first pro deal and had completed just 8 months of a two year scholarship – and has now spent over 10 years at the club.
Prior to signing he had appeared on the bench during the Christmas period, but didn’t manage to make his Football League debut.
During the 2017/18 season he captained the Shrewsbury Town Under-18 team and made his professional debut as a substitute in the Checkatrade Trophy.
The versatile midfielder is currently out on-loan with AFC Telford, experiencing consistent first-team football and will look to bring that back to the Montgomery Waters Meadow next season.
James Rowland
Standing at just 5 feet and five inches, opposition could easily dismiss James Rowland, but the central-midfielder makes up for that in his desire, tenacity and an extreme work rate.
James Rowland joined Shrewsbury Town from West Brom at the end of his Under-14 year. The diminutive midfielder quickly got to grips with life at Shrewsbury and was already playing in the Under-18s side as an Under-15 during the 2016/17 season.
He went from strength to strength last season and was a near-ever present in the second-half of the campaign before signing a scholarship in the summer of 2018.
The attack-minded player has impressed the Town coaching staff and earned his debut in the Checkatrade Trophy this season. The midfielder continues to train and develop with the first-team and academy and is already making a case for himself despite being at such a young age.
This season has also seen other players from the Academy getting first team expereince, with keeper Sam Agius, defenders Rhys Davies and Luke Ward, midfielders Kian Taylor and Jack Leask as well as strikers Lifumpa Mwandwe and Jamaine Turner involved in the first teams Checkatrade and Emirates FA Cup games.
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