Former Wrexham AFC captain Shaun Pearson has taken the next step in his coaching career after joining Championship club Lincoln City’s first-team backroom staff.
Shaun Pearson, who used to captain Wrexham AFC, has joined Lincoln City’s first-team coaching staff as he continues to build his career off the field.
Pearson is now part of the coaching team working with Lincoln’s joint head coaches, Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw. This move brings the 37-year-old back into the Championship after he left Grimsby Town earlier this summer.
The former Red Dragons skipper will work alongside coach Paul McShane and goalkeeping coach David Preece in Lincoln’s backroom staff. Performance analyst Logan Hughes has also returned to the club after a stint with the New Zealand national team.
After retiring from professional football in 2023, he quickly joined Grimsby’s backroom staff and later became assistant head coach.
Pearson also picked up management experience during two caretaker stints at Blundell Park. He and Ben Davies took temporary charge after Paul Hurst left in October 2023, giving Pearson an early chance to lead a senior team.
Pearson left Grimsby in August 2026, a few weeks after rumours first connected him to Lincoln. The Imps have now brought in a coach known for his leadership, communication skills, and knowledge of lower-league football.
As a commanding centre-back, Pearson soon became a key figure in the dressing room in North Wales and was named club captain. His commitment, bravery, and consistency made him very popular with fans during a tough time in Wrexham’s history. still captain when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover in February 2021. Although he departed several months later, his leadership helped maintain standards before the investment and subsequent transformation that carried Wrexham back into the Football League.
He went back to Grimsby in June 2021, even though he had first agreed to a new contract at Wrexham. In the end, his strong ties to his old club led him to return to Blundell Park.
Pearson later helped Grimsby win promotion from the National League before retiring as a player. When Reynolds announced his retirement, he called him “one of the best,” showing the impact Pearson made in the early days of the new ownership.
Coaching always seemed like the next step for Pearson. He started coaching at 14 and spent much of his playing career as a captain or in a leadership group.
Pearson made his competitive debut against Macclesfield Town on 5 August 2017. His first Wrexham goal came during a 2-1 victory over Eastleigh on 7 October 2017, while his final goal arrived in a 3-0 win over Yeovil Town on 8 May 2021.
His final appearance was the 1-1 draw at Dagenham & Redbridge on 29 May 2021.
