Tom Flanagan gave his first interview for Shrewsbury Town and outlined his ambitious targets for the football club.
The experienced centre-back joined as a free transfer after mutually terminating his contract with Sunderland so he could leave the club for free.
He brings a wealth of Sky Bet League One experience having got promoted from the league with Burton Albion and played at the top of the division for Sunderland for the last three seasons.
Flanagan said he was pleased to be at the club and cited aspirations to take Shrewsbury Town to the Sky Bet League One play-offs next season.
On his move to Salop:
“I’m really pleased [to be here]. I’m pleased to get it over the line and I’m just looking forward to getting off to a good start. It was fairly late on from Sunderland’s behalf but I knew that I wanted a bit of security and I spoke to Albie [Aaron Wilbraham] at the club here and he sold it to me; I thought this is what I want to happen and this is where I want to be, so we made it happen.
“They're [the facilities] really good. The training ground is lovely and I’ve been to the ground as well before and it’s really nice too, it’s just got a bit of a more personal feel than some of those huge clubs. I like the area and being that little bit further south is nice for me and my family. We can push in the right direction before the end of the season and then next season, going forward, from what I’ve been told is that the recruitment should be really good and I think we only need a couple more players for the squad for us to push on to something really great.
“My first training session was really good, which is really important. The lads are really good. Obviously, I’ve played against quite a few of them before so I know their quality and then you learn more when you train with some of them. I’m looking forward to training today but yeah, I’m really impressed and I hope they think the same!
“They’ve [Steve Cotterill and Aaron Wilbraham] just said they’re happy to have me and that I was the one they wanted. Sometimes in the world of football, you’re part of a long list and as people don’t get the one they want, they go to the next one so it was nice to be wanted.
“Next season I definitely target going up or being in and around the play-offs for the majority of the season. I think everyone should target that because our individual goals will all align towards one goal of promotion or taking it until the last days of next season.
“I’m fairly relaxed, sometimes that frustrates people but that’s just my persona really. I’m fairly good on the ball and a good one-on-one defender and a good communicator and organiser – I say what I see as I’m watching everyone else. I think I’d just say I give 100% and I think that’s what everyone at Sunderland would say about me so that’s important and it’s a given really so I try to make that my main thing.”
