David Moyes returns to one of his old stomping grounds today with nor entirely happy memories of Shrewsbury Town.
The Hammers boss was a player at the club between 1987 and 1990, making 108 appearances and scoring 12 goals and it was where he started to develop his coaching skills by working at a local independent school.
However, he endured a dreadful low point in January 2003, when his Everton side were knocked out of the FA Cup by a Shrewsbury team then struggling near the foot of the old Third Division.
He said: “I managed against Shrewsbury last season in the League Cup with Sunderland and we beat them at home, but I’ve got to say that FA Cup tie was one of my darkest days and when I talk about my biggest disappointments in football, losing at Shrewsbury with Everton was definitely one of them.
“I had great memories of playing there though as, when I went there in 1987, there were lots of Scottish boys there at the time.
The manager who signed me was a Scot, Ian McNeill, and I was in a squad with the likes of John McGinlay, Dougie Bell, Jim Melrose and Doug Rougvie. Shrewsbury were doing OK then, too. We were in what is now the Championship.
“I was a qualified coach by the time I went to Shrewsbury, having done by badges while I was at Cambridge United and Bristol City, and I worked at a coach at a local school, Concord College, too, which was very enjoyable.”
