Walsall Head Coach Mat Sadler has confirmed he is considering loaning out midfielder Ronan Maher as he hopes the 19-year-old can 'earn his stripes' during a spell away from WS1.Maher, who was consistently among the goals during his time as a scholar, netted during last weekend's pre-season triumph over Solihull Moors, with his form offering something of a challenge for Sadler.
Looking to the loan success of defender Joe Foulkes, who helped Kidderminster Harriers secure promotion to the National League, Sadler believes Ronan needs more games under his belt in order to force his way into the side on a regular basis.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Mat said; "The challenge for me is making sure that I get enough football into Ronan. He will be a fantastic asset for this club.
"It's up to us as a football club to decide how we get him the 20-25 games he needs between now and Christmas. I may have to go and find him 20-25 games.
"Maybe I am going off my career a little bit because I went out on loan, and then all of a sudden I was a first-team player who played every week.
"Perhaps that's me imposing my career on Ronan but I still think that's the right way to go about things. Joe Foulkes has done that.
"He's earned his stripes, played 60-65 games at National League North level. Joe had a fantastic spell, especially at the end of last season.
"He's trusted by everybody now and Ronan is trusted too, but it's a case of sometimes you've got to go out and earn your stripes.
"So that's something we're looking at and it's something we're actively seeking to see what is the right course of action for him.
"I think we've got a real player on our hands here. It's kind of carefully managing this phase of his career."