Steve Cotterill: Shrewsbury manager with Covid winning from hospital

Lockdown boredom might have led to a bit of Football Manager in bed, but what about managing a professional team from hospital?

That's what Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill has been doing as he recovers from Covid.

The Shrews boss recently spent time in intensive care, but with his side 1-0 down on Tuesday, a half-time team talk over the phone inspired them to a win.

He'll be managing from hospital once again on Saturday as they play Ipswich.

On-loan midfielder Harry Chapman is yet to play a game with Steve Cotterill on the touchline

Before the League One side's matches, "the coaching staff connect him to the Bluetooth speaker and he gives us all his tactics," Tuesday's winning goal scorer, 23-year-old Harry Chapman, tells Newsbeat.

He only joined Shrewsbury on loan in January and is yet to play a game with Steve Cotterill on the touchline.

But the manager's presence is being felt.

"We came in at one down and he came on the phone and just said: 'look boys don't worry'."

Harry says the manager even told them he was thinking of changing the formation, but decided against it - telling the players: "'I think if we can get a goal we can go on and win it'."

Which is exactly what they did.

Twenty-eight-year-old captain Ollie Norburn agrees: "He just settled us down. His instructions are pretty clear. It's like he's actually in the room."

The players say the boss's "huge presence" and "big aura" is a big miss. But "just his voice over a speaker is quite refreshing really".

'You can hear his machine'

The manager was only appointed in November 2020. A Covid outbreak in January then closed the club for two weeks with several players having to isolate.

Steve was admitted to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus and then later to intensive care, where he was given oxygen to help him breathe.

But his dedication to the club hasn't wavered.

"His love for the game is unbelievable," says captain Ollie. "He's in hospital but all he can think about is us and winning games."

Despite assistants Aaron Wilbraham and Dave Longwell taking over after Steve was first admitted, "the detail behind everything" comes from him.

That includes talking to the players before, during and after games via a Bluetooth speaker - something that midfielder Harry Chapman says gives them an edge.

"You can hear the passion in his voice when he's on the phone. How much it means to him. It gives us an extra edge when we go out like, 'let's do it for the gaffer'."

Shrewsbury captain Ollie Norburn

Ollie also thinks Steve's time in hospital has been a "gelling period" for the team.

"He doesn't want to let us down, so as players we've got to go out there on a Saturday and give everything for him."

But the passion isn't the only thing in Steve's voice.

"You can hear it," says Harry. "Towards the end he starts getting out of breath."

Ollie says during Steve's team talks they can even "hear his machine in the hospital" and it's a reminder for everyone that "his condition is quite clear".

"I know it feels like he's a million miles away from everything laying in a hospital bed and he's been there for 40 days. He's obviously putting his body on the line."

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