The paperwork to finalise the loan move of Asa Hall from Birmingham City to Town was finally completed late last night.

The young midfielder has joined up with the Town squad and will be here until the end of the season.

He's been progressing through the youth and reserves at St Andrews but felt it was time to go out on loan to get some League experience: "I've been waiting for a chance to get out and a few moves came but then fell through from other League 1 and 2 clubs.

"Shrewsbury have offered me the chance and I'm grateful for it and hopefully I can make my mark on the club."
Asa has already tasted the cut and thrust of League 2 football during a loan spell with Boston United. The move was a couple of seasons ago but it gave him an idea of what a midfielder can expect in this division: "I think the football is pretty much the same but the difference is the pressure to do well to get the points.

"In the league every game matters where as in the reserves it is still about winning but if you don't it doesn't matter as much.

"Training with Birmingham it's all a bit slower and you get bit more time on the ball but playing in League 2 at Boston and the first training session at Shrewsbury it's a lot quicker.

"That's ok though as you just have to make sure you move the ball around better."

He joined up with the Town squad yesterday morning before taking part in his first training session. His early impressions of the Shrewsbury set-up and squad have been good ones: "The first impression driving into the ground was good and it looks lovely.

"I've heard the set-up is good and it's been proven right when I got to see it firsthand yesterday.

"All the staff were great, all the lads were great and the training was excellent and it seems a nice place to be.

"The training set-up is pretty much the same but it's a little bit more hi-tech at the Blues with heart rate monitors and other bits and pieces.

"The tempo in training seems to be just as quick here as it does at Birmingham and my first impressions are really good."

It was back to training with Town this morning as Gary Peters prepares the squad for Saturday's important league game with Morecambe. Asa's focus now is to impress in training and to push his way into the reckoning for Saturday: "That is definitely the goal, to push into the first team and play that is what I want to do and the reason that I'm here.

"Hopefully I can impress everyone to get the chance and then put in some good performances when I get that chance."

The news of the move broke late last night and as with all moves the Town fans were quick to trawl the internet for nuggets of information. The general consensus on the net was that Asa was a defender but that's something he doesn't agree with at all:"I am a centre midfield player but at the back end of last season Steve Bruce called me in and said he fancied looking at me playing at centre half. I had to do whatever I was asked to make an impression and Birmingham and that's where I've been playing recently.

"I've played my entire career in central midfield and that's the position I love to play in.

"I'd like to think I'm the type of player that gets from box to box, gets forward and covers a lot of the pitch.

"Hopefully I can show those qualities here and prove that is the position I can play in."

Asa's current contract expires over the summer and it's unclear what will happen at St Andrews. For now he just wants the chance to show what he can do in League 2 with Shrewsbury and then see what the future will bring: "I had to get out to play football as it was a bit stale in the reserves.

"League football is what it's all about and if I can put in some good performances then who knows what may happen.

"My contract is up in the summer and if things work out who knows where I will end up."

Asa Hall with have squad number 16.