READY TO ROCK

Lead singer Gareth has put his band on back burner as he bids to get a tune out of struggling Shrews

- JAMES NURSEY

GARETH AINSWORTH is dropping the mic as he focuses on getting Shrewsbury rocking.

Long-haired Ainsworth is back in football after a year out following his sacking by QPR in October 2023 after just eight months in charge.

Ainsworth spent a lot of his 12 months off playing music in the Cold Blooded Hearts, the band he fronts. But the group have had to cancel their future gigs after Ainsworth relocated this week from down south to Shropshire to return to management.

Ainsworth, 51, has a big job on his hands with Shrewsbury propping up League One.

Yet he insists he can get Town hitting the right notes again after succeeding Paul Hurst.

And he says management is not hugely different to being the lead singer for a band after giving up on his musical dreams to play football as a youngster.

Ainsworth, who has signed an 18-month contract, said: "Getting back into football management was a big thing for me, to do coaching and improving players.