News broke this morning that Steve Leslie had signed a new contract with the club that would keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2008/09 season.

It was great news for the young left winger who has progressed through the Town youth ranks onto becoming a first team pro.

ShrewsWeb spoke to Steve after training this morning to get his thoughts on the good news: "It's great news and I just want to play football for Shrewsbury Town.

"With the new contract under my belt it takes the pressure off and now I need to kick on and do well to get myself into the first team squad.

"I've got to relax and keep doing well in the reserves like I have been for the last games where I think I have performed well.

"If I do that then hopefully I can push on and get into the gaffers plans."

Steve broke into the first team last season but didn't really establish a regular first team place. This season he's once again impressed in the reserves as well as a number of first team games but he feels that he needs to now start to get some consistent performances: "When I've gone in I've done well but there are a few games where I feel that I could have done a little better.

"I've just got to aim to get some consistent performances in when I next get my chance."

"The club has brought me on leaps and bounds since I first joined a while back.

"It's now down to me and no one else to get my head down and push on my career.

Fellow youngster Chris Humphrey also recently signed a new contract with the club. Steve and Chris are similar young wingers, Chris recently had a spell on loan at Stafford Rangers and Steve isn't adverse to a loan if the chance came: "Maybe what I need is a spell out on loan like Chris did to help get my confidence up and to get first team experience.

"At the moment the Gaffer says he wants me in and around the squad and to keep on my toes to push forward."

The news on Steve's new contact broke today but Town manager Gary Peters had been talking to Steve about a new contract since Christmas: "The Gaffer spoke to me about Christmas time and told me that he was looking to offer me a new contract.

"Now I've finally put pen to paper and it's great to have that extra security of a new contract.

"I like being here at the club as it's brought me through from the youth team and hopefully I can now establish a first team place."

"Steve has made just fewer than 20 appearances for the club since breaking into the first team but is an established part of the young squad. The

"There are the likes of Kelvin Langmead and Ben Herd who have been here since I first came into the first team.

"It's good to be around lads you know because you look at some clubs these days and they have new faces in week in week out.

"I think we have got a strong squad here and hopefully we can continue to develop and grow."