HE enjoyed a red-hot start to his Wrexham career but it soon cooled off for Shaun Whalley.
Whalley, who went on to become a big hit at Saturday’s Racecourse visitors Shrewsbury Town, has revealed the reasons why he disappeared from the first team after smashing home four goals in the opening month of the Reds’ first season in non-league football.
“It was a great start at Wrexham and I was so happy to sign for the club,” said Whalley, who at 37 is still going strong with Accrington Stanley this season.
“I remember Brian Carey calling me to say Wrexham were interested. I came to the club and spoke to manager Brian Little and his assistant Martin Foyle and I couldn’t wait to sign.
“Despite the fact they’d had a couple of bad years and had been relegated to the Conference, it was still a massive club in my eyes.
“The ground, the fans who still turned and the training ground too. It had everything going for it.”
Whalley, who had scored for his previous club Accrington in the final Football League game at Wrexham in April 2008, also netted a debut goal as Brian Little’s side kicked off with a 5-0 thrashing of Stevenage in front of a Racecourse 4,901 crowd.
“I still remember the goal; I remember most of my goals,” added Whalley. “It was a shot from the edge of the box and their keeper seemed to dive out of the way so it looked as if I’d chipped him!”
Whalley then scored in the 1-1 draw at Rushden and Diamonds and grabbed a double as the Reds won 4-1 at Salisbury.
“I had a great start,” added Whalley. “We thrashed Stevenage and I think they ended up getting promoted but things didn’t go well after that.
“Brian Little was sacked and Dean Saunders came in and I lost my place but there was a reason for that.
“Everything was wrong in my life at that time. I was drinking; drinking all the time in fact. I was gambling and football was nowhere near first on my list as it should have been.
“I didn’t turn up for training one Friday and obviously didn’t play on the Saturday. But I have to say that Dean Saunders was great with me.
“He appreciated I was experiencing problems and supported me but I ended up going out on loan to Southport who were managed by Liam Watson, who I knew and really got on with.”
Whalley had originally kicked off his footballing career at Chester City where former Liverpool legend Ian Rush took a shine to him.
“Mark Wright was the manager when I signed but he left before the first game of the season, I think,” added Whalley.
“Rushie came in and he seemed to like me. It was amazing for me being a Liverpool fan and being coached by Ian Rush.”
Rush handed Whalley his Football League debut in 2004 but he drifted into non-league football before sealing a move to Luton Town, where he played between 2013 and 2015.
But he left Kenilworth Road after what he described as a ‘bit of trouble’ and signed for Shrewsbury.
“It was a lucky break for me at Shrewsbury,” added Whalley. “It felt like a fresh start and it was something I needed.
“My little boy, Jude, had just turned one, and I felt I had to sort myself out although I had to wait to force my way into the first team.
“Paul Hurst came in as manager and he was the perfect fit for me. He said he’d tried to sign me when he was at Grimsby.
“I had that knack of scoring during my time with them and we went to Wembley twice - once in the play-offs and then the EFL Trophy.
“It was the highlight of my time there, getting to Wembley twice. It’s just a shame we lost both games there.”
Whalley went on the score 40 times in more than 200 appearances for Salop and he was interested to see how Saturday’s game went.
“I didn’t play in a derby between the two as Wrexham were in the Conference but I know all about the rivalry of the two teams being either side of the English/Welsh border,” added Whalley prior to Wrexham's 3-0 win.
“I watched the FA Cup game on S4C last season while I’ve been following Wrexham’s story - who hasn’t - since the big takeover.
“It’s an unbelievable story and I’m sure it’s one that will continue.”
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