Shrewsbury sign ex-Huddersfield defender Ruffels

Josh Ruffels left Huddersfield Town at the end of last season

Shrewsbury Town have signed full-back Josh Ruffels on a free transfer.

The versatile 31-year-old, who can also play as a wing-back and in midfield, was a free agent having left Huddersfield Town at the end of last season.

Ruffels has been training with Shrewsbury over the past few weeks and has now signed a contract with the League Two club.

The move reunites him with Town boss Michael Appleton, whom he worked with at Oxford United during the three years Appleton was in charge there.

"He'll bring a lot of quality - no doubt about that," Appleton told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"He can play in numerous positions. One of the biggest words I can use for Josh is reliable - you know exactly what you're getting week in, week out.

"He's a great character off the pitch."

Having started at Coventry City, Ruffels spent eight seasons with the U's, making more than 250 appearances.

He won promotion from League Two under Appleton in 2015-16 before moving on to the Terriers in July 2021 and spending two seasons in the Championship before Huddersfield's relegation in 2023.

"I worked with him a long time at Oxford and we're delighted because I didn't think we'd be able to get someone of his quality," Appleton said.

"I'd like to think [it is] because of the relationship we had - he knows me and we've been quite good to him over the last month or so, he's had a couple of weeks with the players.

"It got to a point where it was like 'we need a decision, we've been patient enough' and we had a bit of a laugh about it and luckily we got him over the line."

Back-to-back home wins would be 'huge'

Shrewsbury host Crawley on Saturday, fresh from just a second league win of the season and the club's first victory at home since February.

Appleton says finally ending a 14-game wait for a home victory has given the whole squad a big lift.

"The players have come in this week and, as you can imagine, can't wait for the game," he said.

"It's an opportunity to put back-to-back victories together - which is massively important and to do it at home after going months without winning would be huge."

Town's past two games - a draw at Barrow and a win against Cambridge - ended a run of three straight defeats and improved a points return that had seen them take only five points from their first 10 games.

"There's been a clear focus on trying to keep a clean sheet," Appleton said.

"The players have all got seven or eight things we remind them about before each game - their principles and things they've used and I think that's definitely helped them in the last couple of games.

"I can't stand the way we were off the ball against MK Dons [a 2-1 defeat] - especially in the first half. But I think we've corrected that."

Michael Appleton has managed nine different clubs in his coaching career

Pep's pep talk

Appleton has also used one of the many motivational quotes dotted around the club's training ground to reinforce his message recently - including one from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

"It says: 'I can forgive a lot of things on a football pitch but I can't forgive not running'," said Appleton.

"I get that. It was my mantra as a player. The one thing you don't need talent for is that.

"Whatever happens on Saturday, this week has been a really good week off the pitch and we just want to try to back that up with a performance and a result."