This is how ex-Sunderland defender Tom Flanagan is getting on at Shrewsbury Town

Flanagan signed for League One rivals Shrewsbury in January, it proved a controversial move in some quarters with some fans fearing it had left Sunderland short defensively as they battle for a play-off position.

Sunderland head into the game on the back of the win over Oxford United last weekend with just five games now remaining.

Shrewsbury first-team coach and academy director, David Longwell, has been speaking about Flanagan’s impact – and whether they will be tapping into his inside knowledge of Sunderland.

He said: “He can give you an idea of their players potentially but obviously there’s a new manager now so things have changed since he was there with Lee Johnson.

"Every manager is different in terms of how they want to play and what they want to do and the preparation might have changed so he can give us an insight into some of the players, but not much into how they might play just because it’s a new manager with a new idea.

“He’s settled in really well and you can see that in his performances.

"He’s come into that left centre-back spot and played really well and he’s been in at central centre-back recently as well.

"He’s been a professional for a long time so that transition is easy and he’s got that experience but yeah, he’s fitted in really well.”