Bowyer: There's no reason why Shrewsbury can't challenge for promotion

This Saturday Blackpool travel to a Shrewsbury side who sit second in the table, four points adrift of leaders Wigan.

They face a stern challenge from Blackburn in third, who are currently the league’s form side and have closed the gap to the top two to just a single point.

But when asked if Shrewsbury can stay at the top end of the League One table, Bowyer said: “Yeah, why not? They’ve done it up to now.

“I’m sure they have plans to strengthen even further in January because they’re in that position to stay in there and get into the Championship.

“But that will be down to Paul Hurst and his board.”

Bowyer knows Hurst well from their time together at Rotherham United and he has been full of praise for the job he has done in management.

“Paul Hurst has done an unbelievable job,” he added.

“In fact he’s probably not getting the credit he deserves.

“For me he backs up the argument that the young British managers have served their apprenticeship.

“He’s done it in the Conference by getting Grimsby promoted and then went to Shrewsbury last year and kept them up when it’s fair to say a lot of people had written them off and said they were already down.

“Then they’ve started this season unbelievably well.

“He’s just proved the doubters wrong and it can’t be long until he’s getting talked about for jobs in the Championship and higher.

“You only have to look at the jobs he has done and the teams he has produced to see he’s very thorough with his work.

“He’s a great person and he will demand the highest of standards from his players and that’s what he’s getting at the moment.

“You only have to look down the road at the fantastic job Sean Dyche has done at Burnley and it just goes to prove there are good young English coaches out there.”