Sunderland loanee Carl Winchester opens up about his Shrewsbury Town loan spell

Winchester this summer joined Tom Flanagan and Aiden O’Brien in Shropshire after accepting that his chances of regular game time were going to be limited on Wearside this season.

The 29-year-old said at this stage of his career he simply had to be playing regular games. And Winchester has made a big impression at Shrewsbury since arriving on a season-long loan from Sunderland.

A calf problem kept him out recently but he returned to the starting XI against Sheffield Wednesday – his high energy performances catching the eye.

"I've settled in great. It has been really good, I have loved it to be fair. The lads and everyone have been brilliant with me since I came,” said Winchester this week.

"I knew Flanno (Tom Flanagan) and Taylor Moore so they have helped me settle in. So it has been great and I have loved it.

"Like everyone says the banter the lads have in and around the training ground is great. Before games, everyone is together there is a real togetherness in the group."

He added: “When you are a young lad playing and you want to make a career in the game so you just have to work hard.

"That has always been drilled into me... hard work, hard work, hard work. That is all I go off. Sometimes you can have a bad game. But if you work hard then sometimes people forgive you.

"If you have a bad game, though, and you don't work hard - that is when questions start to get asked. Managers are not stupid they will see who is working hard and who is not. I just try and work my socks off every game.

"If you give it your all then you stand yourself in good stead.”

Winchester is out of contract at the end of the current season, though no final decision has been made on his long-term future at the Stadium of Light. In a statement confirming the move on deadline day Sunderland said they had the option to recall Winchester in January.

Shortly after leaving Wearside, he reflected on his ‘unbelievable’ spell at Sunderland - and his connection with the SAFC fanbase.

Speaking in September, he said: “I want to say thanks to Sunderland because they are a brilliant club, an outstanding club, a massive club but I just want to play games.

“The manager has watched me at Cheltenham, Forest Green and Sunderland – he's watched me throughout my career and I’ve heard nothing but good things about him.

“It was unbelievable. If you’d have told me when I was at Forest Green that I would go to Sunderland and be part of a promotion-winning team I wouldn’t have believed you.

“It was something special. That club is amazing, the fans are incredible and it takes a type of player to go up there and play for them.

“You have to wear your heart on your sleeve and give everything because those fans give everything for that club.

“They deserve to be in the Championship and even higher because the potential of that club is phenomenal.”