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

FromIpswichToPhoenix added 22:40 - Nov 16 A lot can be said for not burning bridges.
2

Dog added 01:10 - Nov 17 To be fair to Blueboy , he always wanted Steijn. Hurst was a clown. Worse in my opinion than Keane - and he was pish.
6

Sospiri added 02:01 - Nov 17 Hurst is a very ambitious and clearly somewhat ruthless man. But he will need to be less cold and calculating if he is going to get on in football. Anyway, he has probably blown his chance forever now...
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ArnieM added 08:40 - Nov 17 Hursts problem whilst at Town, was he didn't appear to work WITH the established ( and far more experienced) staff. This led him to ship out players who could have been far more effective than those he brought in. His “ I know best “ not too dissimilar from McCarthy, attitude was his undoing As the Shrews owner had said , there's a way of managing ambition. Hurst gotbthstbtotally wring !

2

Skip73 added 08:51 - Nov 17 Good. He's getting exactly what he deserves.
1

Dissboyitfc added 09:32 - Nov 17 its called Karma. that was so wrong the way he treated Shrewsbury could well have cost them promotion!
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TimmyH added 11:44 - Nov 17 Not bad hey!... he gets a six figure pay-off for being dreadful and then returns to his former club, maybe not now but in the foreseeable. I know who is an a win win situation here even though 'wins' were almost impossible to achieve... He will go down as the worst manager in ITFC history...personally I want to forget about him.
1

TimmyH added 11:49 - Nov 17 Should add we all knew that Hurst had his place 'booked' at PR well before all the other interviews took place, this just proves it!...Evans not blameless either wasting other candidates time!
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blueboy1981 added 14:01 - Nov 17 Bobblehat ........ go back to sleep.
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blueboy1981 added 14:06 - Nov 17 ....... and as for the other loser who cannot leave the minus button alone - give it a rest, and do yourself a favour, as well as everyone else. Has McCarthy invited you to Dinner yet ?
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:24 - Nov 17 The Rise & Fall of Reginald Perrin !
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stiffy501 added 12:41 - Nov 18 Well wherever he goes good luck to him, my choice was always to try and get Nigel Clough, think he would have been a good fit for us, but anyhow we have Paul Lambert and im quite happy with that COYB
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