Following Monday afternoon's news that the Saddlers had signed Ayr United defender Nicky Devlin, Walsall manager Jon Whitney has spoken to club journalists and welcomed the right-back to the club.
Jon, who was speaking via Saddlers.co.uk, discussed his excitement as he looks to help Nicky grow as a player, he said; "I’m really pleased to be getting Nicky on board. I’m excited to see how he fits into the group here at the club over the next few weeks in pre season. He’ll be an important player for the squad, he ticks all the boxes and he fits into our philosophy here at the club.
"He was the youngest captain at Ayr United and comes across as a very driven player. He’s been a key player for them, and earned his way into team of the season.
"Devlin is someone that we have been aware of for a while now, we’ve been keeping tabs on him from the end of last season, where we went to watch him in a couple of games. He’s someone who we feel can step up and kick on at this level. He comes in at the right age where we can improve him as a player.
"There were lots of other clubs interested in Devlin, but we sold the club to him, we sold the philosophy, the fan base and the fact that we are a community club. It’s important that we make these players feel welcome and we ensure their families feel part of the set up here as well."