Mansfield Town lose Junior Brown to League One new boys Shrewsbury

The 26-year-old made 24 appearances for the Stags during his half-season stay at One Call Stadium in 2014/15. He scored twice – in home games against Hartlepool United and Dagenham & Redbridge.

The move has re-united him with his former manager at Fleetwood Micky Mellon and Brown said: “It wasn’t a tough decision to come here - I’ve known Micky for a considerable amount of years and the chance to come and play under him was a no-brainer really.

“He brought some of the best football out in me so with the lads here and the momentum after promotion, it would have been daft to turn down an opportunity like this.”

Mellon signed Brown at Fleetwood when he was in charge of the side in the Conference from where they won promotion and then progressed to League One with Brown making over 100 appearances:

“Micky’s got his own playing style and he wants to play total football,” he said.

“He knows how to get the best out of me and at this stage of my career; it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

“When I was in the side there we were known as a team that won by playing attractive football and we had success under him.

“I’ve seen the highs under him and this is an opportunity to come here and achieve more success.”

Since leaving Fleetwood Brown has had spells with Tranmere, Oxford United and then the Stags.

“I’ve spent the rest of my career in the League,” he said. “It’s difficult because at times you might not get the games you want to get and you might not play as much football as you want to play.

“But you have to seize opportunities and going to Oxford last year then going on loan to Mansfield wasn’t what I planned or wanted to do.

“But it was the best way to get regular football and it’s kept me in the League and got Micky to see what I can do, given me another opportunity to go again, and in a higher league.

“Hopefully I can put in some good performances this coming season and we can achieve success.”

“I’m pleased it’s done and dusted and now I can focus on the task in hand now of getting fit over the next month and focused and ready for the games.

“Having time off in the summer is good but there’s nothing like getting to the end of pre-season because you know the games are coming.”