Former Blues boss Paul Hurst won’t be returning to his former club Shrewsbury Town with Shrews CEO Brian Caldwell believing it’s too early for him to come back, citing the manner of the 44-year-old’s summer exit for Portman Road.

Hurst, who had managed the Shrews for 18 months, was replaced by John Askey in the summer, but the ex-Macclesfield boss was sacked earlier this week.

"It's too soon for Paul to come back to this football club," Caldwell told the Shropshire Star.

"A lot of things went on that not everybody's privy to, some things have come out fairly recently, I think the way it happened with him clearing his office the day before the biggest game in our history [the League One play-off final].

"I look at it, with the monies in the Championship now, as one of the biggest games in our history. To talk to players on the way back from the play-off final about next season having lost gave indications he was staying.

"He then jumped in his car, which was full with his office things. There's no doubt interviews had taken place.

"You find out more and more truths. You have lost that trust with someone doing something behind your back for such a length of time at a really important time for this football club. Nobody's bigger than Shrewsbury Town Football Club."

Caldwell added: "Paul and his agent negotiated a new contract at the turn of the year, nine or 10 months ago, and was immediately trying to work an exit strategy.

"Listen I'm all for an exit strategy. If the situation had been different and he'd come and said 'If I get this opportunity I'd like to take it' — then we wanted him to be ambitious.

"We spoke all through his time how important it was to be ambitious and take the next step. We wanted to be the club he took the next step with. But there's a way of managing that ambition.

"I like to be honest with everybody and tell the truth. I like to be able to sleep at night knowing I'm not doing something behind someone's back."

Hurst, who left the Blues along with his staff after only 149 days in charge last month, still remains the bookies’ second-favourite for the Shrews job at 2-1 with Sky Bet behind Wrexham manager Sam Ricketts at 6-4.

The ex-Town manager has also been linked with the vacant positions at AFC Wimbledon, he is third-favourite for that job at 6-1, and Notts County, fourth-favourite at 8-1.

Photo: TWTD

BlueBlood90 added 12:04 - Nov 16 Don't care.
-1

Northstander_Blue added 12:23 - Nov 16 Shrewsbury need to be carefull what they wish for
6

hampstead_blue added 12:28 - Nov 16 I like his honesty. PH really isn't very bright is he. Maybe that's why the Shrew's picked our pocket for those average players. PH's stock is falling faster than a nun's pants.
10

Houss542 added 12:41 - Nov 16 I like what Paul Hurst was trying to do, sadly his tactics & vision at Ipswich failed miserably! I found that Roy Keane was the most damaging manager we've had at the club for a long time...... Unfortunately, in my opinion Paul Hurst isn't too far behind.
9

Suffolkboy added 12:44 - Nov 16 Let's not get too far into this episode ; he's gone , it's not our problem AND we must ALL look to the here and now AND the future .Misdemeanours almost always have a consequence & fortunately it doesn't fall to ITFC to deal ( except perhaps to unload maybe some imports !) Up the Blues !
9

Currie10 added 12:58 - Nov 16 This man makes me like Keane.
0

herfie added 13:07 - Nov 16 With the benefit of hindsight suspect PH wishes he'd left his office bits and bobs exactly where they were! Clearly persona non grata with the Shrews bosses, who probably think that PH got his ‘A' s mixed up: ambition vs ability. But, hey that's football. Thankfully we've moved on; albeit with a couple of legacy players who might prove easier for the Shrews to welcome back.

2

mickeyjb added 13:17 - Nov 16 Can we get the money back that we obviously paid the shrews to get him to Portman Road. I'm sure he's within the 1 year garentee and he's certainly broken!!!
3

parkinshair added 13:24 - Nov 16 On paper, Hurst for many (myself included) ticked all the boxes. It was a calculated risk that's turned into an unmitigated disaster for all concerned. Lambert has made a promising start at steadying the ship and if he saves us then the Hurst period will be little more than a quiz question in years to come. If we go down however, those opening couple of months with him in charge will have cost us dearly so no good luck message from me.

14

bedsitfc added 13:24 - Nov 16 Makes me wonder if PH took toto and Nolan just to stick the knife in. based on they are shrews best players (albeit not good enough for us)
0

Kirbmeister added 13:40 - Nov 16 The guy is an absolute buffoon and his sidekick Doig. No one here cares what happens to them.
4

OldClactonBlue added 13:43 - Nov 16 Currie10 He doesn't me!
2

OwainG1992 added 14:16 - Nov 16 God it was so positive this past summer...How times change!! I still think it's a shame how things worked out. But focus has to be Paul Lambert now.
7

OriginalMarkyP added 14:46 - Nov 16 Shrew-where? Paul-who?
1

runningout added 14:53 - Nov 16 Good luck PH I say. Hope we were a blip
3

brittaniaman added 16:03 - Nov 16 Him and his Sergeant Major Doig left us with that record of 9pts. out of 42pts .plus an exit from the Cup by the mighty Exeter Goodness me that has certainly hit us hard !!! Let as all hope and pray that Lambert and company can make some headway after that disastrous start ??? It is a hard job that PL has taken on, in him we trust now.
7

JewellintheTown added 16:24 - Nov 16 Sounds like Caldwells a big kid, had his ego bruised and now cutting his nose off the spite his face. Didn't work out for PH & entourage here, but the Shrews seemed to have done very well under him and at that level seems to have fitted like a glove. They could do worse. Don't think it was anyone's intention to do so much damage here but PH and gang are now paying the price for it too, both from ITFC and Shrews, then again ITFC have by far lost the most with all the redundancy pay off's plus the Shrews pay offs, plus table position and players in/out. Sad episode for all but we move on.

0

Warkys_Tash added 16:26 - Nov 16 Very damning from the Shrews chairman. But he needn't cry too hard as his sales ledger is nicely balanced to the tune of £2M.. for lets be honest 2x League One standard players..
3

cat added 16:34 - Nov 16 As ye ole saying goes”be careful who you pish off on your way up, cause you might meet them on the way down” Shame how it panned out, but we now have a kick ass manager.
5

dirtydingusmagee added 17:25 - Nov 16 i heard that Hurst and McCarthy are pen friends now !
1

blueboy1981 added 18:00 - Nov 16 Move on Guys and Girls - always going to be a big ask for Hurst - as I predicted. Never was convinced he'd be up for it, but the idea was sound, had he have been. In reality he made a real rollocks of it in every way - what he would have done longer term is anyones guess, and always will be. Simply we couldn't afford to wait and see, whilst more suitable experience was available, as we have now installed. We are far better off now, than what we were under McCarthy or Hurst for sure, whatever the rest of the season holds.

6

pegasus added 18:59 - Nov 16 Yeh. Well. There you go...
0

jas0999 added 20:23 - Nov 16 Lots of rumours about PH and Doig and the fpgoinfs on at ITFC. We may never know the truth ... ... but this story is damning,p. Both for Hurst and also Evans.
0

Taricco_Fan added 21:54 - Nov 16 Caldwell has maybe taken things a little too personally. That said, maybe Evans and Hurst could have handled the situation better. That's football. I can see Hurst having to drop down to League 2 in order to re-build a reputation that is now in tatters. One thing is for sure; he needs to get rid of Doig. If the rumour is correct, Hurst was offered the opportunity to do so.

2

Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:26 - Nov 16 Oh you are so wise Blueboy1981. Please tell me where we will finish this season so I can get a bet on ???
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