Following the news that he'd put pen-to-paper on a contract extension that should see him remain at the club until at least the summer of 2018, Walsall midfielder Reece Flanagan has spoken to club journalists and discussed his delight as he secures his future, giving him time to concentrate on his football.
Birmingham-born Flanagan, who joined the Saddlers aged sixteen, couldn't hide his excitement, speaking via Saddlers.co.uk, he said; “I’m thrilled to have signed now. I can just concentrate on getting back fit and hopefully playing some part this year. I think you’ve got to see every setback as an opportunity.
"For me, I’ve never been able to put on weight but since my injury I’ve gained 6 kilograms in muscle mass. I took the positive from it and I feel like I’m going to come back stronger than I was before.
"The staff have been brilliant and I can’t thank them enough. I’m very self motivated anyway but they’ve definitely played a big part in my recovery and a lot of it is down to them. Initially my target was Christmas but when I had my operation, the injury was worse than first thought so I’m looking at January now.
"It’s my sixth season at the club and I think I’ve developed as a player and as a person as well. If you’re a young lad coming up, you’ll get a lot of opportunities to develop here and to play games.
"It’s a great place for young players and you only have to look at the examples in the first team squad. Amadou is breaking through this season, Matty has been solid at the back and Kieron Morris who is one of the first names on the team sheet every week.
"So when you’re coming through with these lads, we’re all in similar situations and you can empathise and relate to each other. Hopefully I can get back fit this year, play a couple of games and get match fit ready to play alongside them next season."