Chelsea's Leo Castledine heads to Shrewsbury Town on loan
Shrewsbury secure Leo Castledine from Chelsea on a season-long loan Credit: Clare McCahill (ETPhotos)
Shrewsbury Town have confirmed the loan signing of 19-year-old attacking midfielder Leo Castledine from Chelsea for the remainder of the season.
This move marks Castledine's first senior loan spell after making his debut for Chelsea’s first team in January against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup.
Manager Paul Hurst expressed his excitement over the signing, revealing that the club had been tracking Castledine for some time.
"We are really pleased because he’s one we’ve been looking at for a long time and initially we weren’t sure he’d be allowed to come out on loan," Hurst explained.
Hurst noted that there had been interest from Championship clubs, which made the capture even more significant for Shrewsbury.
"We're delighted to get him in and had to be patient on this one," he added.
Castledine is also involved with the England youth teams and has captained Chelsea’s youth side.
"He’s a mature character who plays with maturity, enthusiasm, and has quality," Hurst said.
"He's got a lot of energy and works hard - it's what I noticed when I first started watching him, what a good attitude he's got."
"He can score goals and get assists but also without the ball he will work hard and hopefully win the ball back for us in good areas of the pitch," Hurst continued.
Hurst believes Castledine's leadership experience will be invaluable to the team.
"He is a part of the England youth teams as well, captained his Chelsea side too so I think that speaks volumes about his character and I’m looking forward to working with him," he concluded.
