‘It’s a clean slate for everyone’ - Skuse excited by ‘fresh start’ under new Town boss Hurst

Paul Hurst has signed a three year deal at Town. Picture: PA SPORT (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Hurst was appointed by the Blues on a three-year deal this morning, replacing Mick McCarthy who departed in April following more than five years at Portman Road.

And Skuse is looking forward to the ‘fresh start’ Hurst’s appointment will bring.

“It’s a great appointment, brilliant for the club and nice to get it done,” he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

“Paul’s CV kind of speaks for itself and he’s very highly thought of within the football world with three or four promotions under his belt.

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“I watched the play-off final at the weekend and I thought Shrewsbury were very unlucky not to get a result. Paul seems to conduct himself very well and there’s exciting times ahead.

“It is a fresh start. Mick did a great job for five years at the club and a lot of players would thank him massively for that, and he did do a fantastic job.

“But, like I say, it’s a fresh start, it’s a clean slate for everyone. He’s inherited what’s definitely not a broken squad, he’s inherited a very, very good squad. Once everyone’s back fit and fully flying it’s a great squad.

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“So, it’s exciting times, pre-season is going to be interesting, it’s a different pre-season for everyone, we’ve had the same pre-season for five years, it’s going to be a fresh start for everyone.”

Town’s managing director Ian Milne has also discussed Hurst’s appointment this morning.

“It’s after a very extensive search by Marcus,” Milne added. “He’s discussed with a number of professionals in the game, managers and what have you, and has had a number of important meetings with likely candidates and it was worth the search.

“And with Paul and Chris we’ve got a couple of young guys, who have got the experience, they’ve done very well to get in the League One play-offs, and he’s been Manager of the Month a number of times. I think he’s going to be fantastic joining us and giving us a new young face at the top of the football management.

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“There were a lot of names down there (during the search). I would say, and talking to Marcus, there were probably five or six who are excellent potential candidates but Paul really was Marcus’s first choice after the search.

“And, as I say, the important thing is that he took the opinions of the football managers and the professional people he knows in the game, so it wasn’t just a Marcus Evans decision and he’s going to be a very much younger face for the club.”