According to the historical data, there’s a 0.012 per cent of a young footballer ever playing a minute in the English Premier League… roughly the same percentage chance as being struck by lightning.
So there are hundreds of players that don’t quite make the grade in the EPL that filter down the English football pyramid, with clubs like Shrewsbury Town offering a platform for players to showcase their talent.
Joining them at the Shrews is Jordan Shipley, who has taken a slightly different route to League One…
Making the Grade
The careers of two of Shipley’s current teammates, Morgan Feeney and Aristote Nsiala, could have been very different had they made the grade at Everton.
Right now, they would find themselves in the midst of a different relegation battle, with the Paddy Power Premier League odds making the Toffees a 9/4 chance to be relegated. Most football tips are focusing on Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leicester City, the three favourites for the drop, to go straight back down to the Championship, but Everton continue to be dragged closer and closer to the relegation dogfight.
FT. pic.twitter.com/p1GWggJZeE
— Everton (@Everton) December 1, 2024
On the red half of Merseyside, things are going rather better for Liverpool; the Premier League leaders at which Jordan Rossiter, now 27, came through the youth ranks. He is joined at Shrewsbury by Alex Gilliead, who signed professional terms at Newcastle United, but never made a first team appearance.
The Shrews are proof that there is a second chance for players that don’t make the cut at Premier League level, while also highlighting the challenges of competing at League One level with a limited budget.
Ship’s Come In
At the time of writing, Shrewsbury Town find themselves in the relegation zone of the third tier.
They have yet to achieve back-to-back wins this season, but they occasionally display moments of real quality. Beating big spending Birmingham City 3-2 at the end of November is a confirmation of that.
Shipley came on as a substitute in that excellent win over the Blues, with the Leamington man having to come to terms with fleeting appearances from the bench.
💯 up for @Shipperz26 🏹#Salop ⚪️🟠 pic.twitter.com/D0ZvxdjUvh
— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsburytown) November 12, 2024
One of his best performances came against Bolton in October, when he scored a thunderbolt – nominated for League One Goal of the Month – in a strong away showing. But, as luck would have it, Shipley picked up an achilles injury against the Trotters that would keep him out for the best part of the next month.
Working his way back to full fitness, the midfielder will play a key role over the course of the second half of the season as the Shrews look to maintain their League One status.
He, too, suffered heartache earlier in his career when released by boyhood club Coventry City. But Shrewsbury Town is proving to be an excellent proving ground for those seeking a second chance in the beautiful game.
