Shrewsbury should try for Lowe - Tolley

Former Shrewsbury striker Ryan Lowe parted company with Preston on 12 August

Ryan Lowe would be a great fit to fill the managerial vacancy at Shrewsbury Town, says former Salop team-mate Jamie Tolley.

Liverpudlian Lowe, 46, began his professional playing career with Shrewsbury after signing from non-league Burscough in July 2000.

Three months on from leaving Preston North End, Tolley sees former Bury and Plymouth Argyle boss Lowe as the ideal candidate to succeed the sacked Paul Hurst and potentially save Town from relegation back to League Two.

"He would do a great job in my opinion," former Wales Under-21s international Tolley told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"My old team-mate. He did a great job with Bury, got promoted with them and then again with Plymouth, got his move to Preston in the Championship and did an unbelievable job there.

"Everyone knows they don't have the biggest budget in the Championship but, year in, year out, he had them in the top 10.

"He's an ex-player, who knows what it means to the fans and the town. And it's only if he wants the job, that's the main thing. But, if he did, I would think he'd be a good shout."

Lowe clocked up 707 games in his 19-year professional career, with eight different clubs. And, since embarking on his time a boss as player-manager in October 2017, he has already reached 334 matches.

Dropping a level to take over a Shrewsbury side with an uncertain financial future might seem a retrograde step for Lowe, but he did cut his teeth in management by inspiring Bury to his first managerial promotion in uncertain times in 2019 just four months before the Shakers went into liquidation.

Town sit 23rd in League One going into this Saturday's trip to managerless bottom club Burton Albion, who play 22nd-placed Crawley at home on Tuesday night and would drop Shrewsbury to last place if they win both games.

Jamie Tolley was talking to BBC Radio Shropshire's Mark Elliott