Shrewsbury Town: Dave Edwards heads list of 12 players released
- Published
Almost half of Dave Edwards' 79 appearances in his second spell at Shrewsbury came from the bench
Shrewsbury Town have released 12 players following the conclusion of a frustrating League One campaign badly disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Former Wolves and Wales midfielder Dave Edwards, 34, heads the list of men to be let go by manager Steve Cotterill.
Town still have nine contracted players on their books,, external while two more, striker Daniel Udoh and defender Matthew Pennington, have been offered deals.
Cotterill has twice been hospitalised since Christmas with Covid pneumonia.
But, after attending the home game with Oxford United on 29 April, the first Town game he had witnessed in 2021, he is now back at the club.
'Time for a fresh approach'
"I've had some tough days over the last few months," said Cotterill. "But this has been one of the toughest, especially when the boys did so well to keep us in the division.
"I've had all the lads in, spoken to them and apologised for not being there over the last few months. I've had a really difficult day. It hasn't been an enjoyable one.
"I have never before spoken to a group of lads from my hospital bed. I was so pleased with what they have given me and the club. That group of lads should never be forgotten. But I feel it's time for a fresh approach here."
Town's longest serving player, Shaun Whalley, 33, this season's nine-goal top scorer, triggered another year on his contract once he had played 28 games.
But Shrewsbury's quartet of experienced ex-Wolves players - striker Leon Clarke, 36, midfielders Edwards and 30-year-old David Davis, as well as 33-year-old defender Scott Golbourne - are all to leave, along with Donald Love, Ro-Shaun Williams, Ryan Sears, James Rowland, Sean Goss, Brad Walker, Ryan Barnett and Curtis Main.
Loanees Matija Sarkic (Wolves) and Harry Chapman (Blackburn Rovers) will return to their parent clubs.
Edwards, signed by fellow Wolves old boy Sam Ricketts in January 2019, had said he was thinking of retirement at the end of the season, but told BBC Shropshire last week that his form of late had encouraged him to rethink those plans.
Shrewsbury finished 17th in League One, seven points above the relegation zone, having been 23rd - four points adrift of safety - when Cotterill came in after his predecessor Ricketts was sacked in late November.