Shrewsbury appoint new boss who’s managed in Premier League after sudden Gareth Ainsworth departure

Shrewsbury Town have appointed Michael Appleton as head coach until the end of the season.

Appleton’s appointment comes after League One side Shrewsbury were rocked by the sudden departure of Gareth Ainsworth, who left to join League Two side Gillingham.

Former Blackpool, Portsmouth and Oxford United boss Appleton has been out of work since he was dismissed by Charlton at the start of 2024 following only four months at the helm.

He will be joined at the Shrews by long-serving assistant Richard O’Donnell.

“It’s been a difficult seven days, but once Gareth Ainsworth made the decision to leave, it was important we acted quickly to find the right man to guide us through the remainder of the season,” Shrewsbury director of football Micky Moore said.

“Michael was my number one target and I’m thrilled that over the last 24 hours we’ve been able to get a deal over the line.

“I know the past few days have been difficult for supporters. Nobody likes confusion and uncertainty, but hopefully now, by making this quick appointment, we can all get behind Michael and Richard for the remaining nine games of the season.”

Bottom-of-the-table Shrewsbury, who are 14 points from safety, begin Appleton’s tenure at Birmingham on Saturday.

As well as managing a number of EFL clubs Appleton has managed in the Premier League too.

In 2017, he took charge of Leicester for two games, one of them in the league, in between the sacking of Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel’s appointment.

He was also named caretaker manager for West Brom’s clash with West Ham in February 2011 before Roy Hodgson was appointed Baggies boss.

Shrewsbury’s season went from bad to worse on Tuesday when it was announced Ainsworth was leaving.

“Gareth’s contract contained a termination clause which the League Two club in question initially refused to meet,” Shrewsbury chairman Wycherley said in a statement.

“We made clear from that point we would not allow him to leave and that we wanted him to honour the remainder of his contract.

“But Gareth made clear he wanted to leave immediately, despite acknowledging the position the club are in at this moment in time.

“At a board meeting yesterday [Monday] afternoon, the League Two club had still refused to meet the termination clause.

“But at 4:41pm yesterday, STFC received confirmation that the club had agreed to pay the full termination fee for both Gareth Ainsworth and Richard Dobson.

“This took any further negotiations out of our hands – and Gareth and Richard once again expressed their desire to leave immediately.

“A few weeks ago, I sat down with Gareth and offered him a two-year contract extension regardless of our divisional status because, as a club, we were excited about the future with him at the helm.

“Gareth seemed pleased we made that offer and everyone was looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

“While we only received the final paperwork from the League Two club this afternoon, I would like to – as much as possible – reassure fans that we are already in discussion with suitable candidates for the head coach role.

“We are working really hard to have someone in place for Saturday.

“Once again, I fully understand why our supporters are feeling frustrated, confused and concerned.

“I can assure you, as a supporter myself, the current situation hurts me more than I can ever express. And with the club still in an exclusivity agreement regarding a potential takeover, we will keep you updated with events as they happen.”