Ex-Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth has revealed that the unique mix of younger players and older professionals helped him gain success at the club.

Speaking on the Undr the Cosh podcast this week, the newly appointed Shrewsbury Town boss spoke to Jon Parkin, Chris Brown and Chris Brown about his time at Adams Park.

In all, he managed 550 games for the Chairboys, winning 219 times.

A large part of his successes in South Bucks, which saw him achieve two promotions, was the fact the club ‘couldn’t afford players aged between 23 and 28.

Instead, relying on those who were in their late teens/early 20s, or in their 30s.

He explained: “I never got the middle bit which were 23 to 28-year-olds who were in the prime of their career.

“You couldn’t afford them at Wycombe.

“It was either the ones that had been let go at 18 and they had something but just didn’t make it, or, the others who I could afford were 30 pluses.

“But I had to be careful as I wanted to sign the ones that were still hungry and had great attitude, because at 30 plus, some might come just for the pay package to see their career out.

“So the blend worked really well, as these old lads got the younger lads through.

“Adebayo Akinfenwa is the prime example.

“Joe Jacobson, Matt Bloomfield was still there, Marcus Bean who I got from my old club QPR.

“Sam Saunders, Nathan Tyson and Craig Mackail-Smith…mixed with Alfie Mawson, Dom Gape, Aaron Pierre and Eberechi Eze all learnt from those boys.

“I just never had that middle section as they cost as that;s how we made a go of it.

“We just had this buzz at Wycombe and that’s what we had.” 

He left the club to join Queens Park Rangers as their manager in February 2023 but was let go in October of that year after winning just five of his 28 games in charge.

After taking a year out from the game, he was appointed as the new boss of Shrewsbury Town earlier this month.