Shrewsbury Town: Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has joined the club as reserve coach

Shrewsbury-born Hart came through the ranks at the Shropshire club making 58 appearances before being sold to Manchester City as a 19-year-old in 2006, a deal eventually worth £1.5m.

What convinced him to pull on the Shrewsbury kit again was the chance to assist 22-year-old Matthew Cox, who is on loan at Shrewsbury from Premier League side Brentford, and substitute goalkeeper Will Brook.

Asked if it was surreal to have the club badge on his chest again, Hart said: “Yes, but my life has been surreal – the whole thing.”

“When the opportunity came and they asked me, I offered myself to be there for Coxy and Will tonight.

“I am absolutely honored and delighted to be able to come and do this and that we enjoyed such a successful evening.”

The win in Salford extended Shrewsbury’s winning run to five league matches and added to the stunning turnaround under Cowan, who has suffered just one defeat in seven matches since taking over in late January.

Cowan said it was a “true privilege” to have Hart alongside him for the latest win which lifted the club to 17th in the table and 12 points above the relegation places.

“He’s a great guy, and he shows humility to want to come and help us,” Cowan said.

“I and [assistant manager] David Edwards called him up for a little support and asked him if he knew anyone.

“He volunteered to come in and was a breath of fresh air. The players really liked him.

“He really wants to come back to his hometown club and give something if he can. But again, I don’t want people to read too much into it. He’s just a teammate who really helps his teammates out.”