Shrewsbury Town have officially confirmed the signing of newly promoted Luton Town player Elliot Thorpe on a season-long loan. The news was announced on the club website.
The 22-year-old majorly operates as a wing-back but has also featured in the midfield in his career. Thorpe has already played under new manager Matt Taylor at the Tottenham academy.
Who is Elliot Thorpe?
Thorpe, born in Cambridgeshire, began his career with the academy at Cambridge United.
However, Thorpe was quickly snapped up by the Tottenham Hotspur academy. He featured 20 times in the PL2 for Spurs, scoring three goals during his time with the London side. The midfielder links up with a manager who knows him. Current Shrews manager Matt Taylor worked with Thorpe during his time at Tottenham.
He then moved to Luton Town in 2022 and would spend the first half of the season on loan with League One club Burton Albion. However, he only made five appearances for the Brewers in League One.
Thorpe has little senior experience to his name to date. The midfielder only made seven appearances for the club across all competitions, with under 150 minutes of football at the Pirelli stadium. That loan was cut short by the Hatters in January, and he would make one appearance back at the club.
As well as this, the 22-year-old midfielder has risen through the youth ranks in the Wales international set-up but is yet to make an appearance for the senior team.
Summer business so far
Thorpe is the fifth signing the Shrews have made this summer. The club now operates under Micky Moore, who joined from Cheltenham Town, and Moore has brought staff from the Robins with him.
The Shrews have already completed the signings of midfielder Michael Parker, defender Morgan Feeney, midfielder Carl Winchester, well known to Shrewsbury, midfielder Elliot Bennett and the most recent to put pen to paper Elliot Thorpe.
Newly appointed head coach Matt Taylor has brought in a mixture of experienced players and young talents to help create a perfect blend in the squad. Shrewsbury will be looking to improve on the performances of last season. The club finished in 12th under former manager Steve Cotterill.
Thorpe comes in following the departure of Luke Leahy. The former skipper completed a move to Wycombe Wanderers yesterday. This signing can provide cover in the same roles Leahy could.
Writer’s View
Although inexperienced, Elliot Thorpe is the type of signing Shrewsbury needed. He will bring his energetic persona and a good level of technical ability, which could help Taylor’s squad push further up the League One table. In my opinion, Shrewsbury has had a strong start to the summer window.
Shrewsbury has acted fast on Leahy’s departure. Salop has reason to be excited even after the exit of their captain. While Thorpe may not be a direct replacement to Leahy, he can play in positions that the new Wycombe signing was able to, bearing some similarities between the two. It would not surprise me if Shrewsbury looked for a more permanent option for that role.
