Walsall club captain Donervon Daniels is among five players to leave the club as The Saddlers announced their retained list.
After being runaway leaders for the first half of the League Two season, Walsall faced major heartbreaks both on the final day due to Antoni Sarcevic’s 96th-minute goal sending Bradford City into League One at the expense of Mat Sadler’s side, before losing the Play-off Final to AFC Wimbledon last weekend.
Five Players Depart
Walsall confirmed their retained list following the conclusion of the season, and four players will leave upon the expiry of their contracts, including club captain Donervon Daniels. The 31-year-old registered 115 appearances for the club but has been hampered by injuries over the past year.
Jack Earing, Danny Johnson and George Barrett are also leaving the Bescot Stadium this season, and will be joined by key defender Oisin McEntee. The Irish international has been linked with a move to Hearts of Midlothian in the past week, having previously been connected with their Edinburgh rivals in Hibernian.
The club are engaging in talks to retain nine other out-of-contract players, including star forwards Jamille Matt and Albert Adomah and goalkeeper Sam Hornby. Jamie Jellis and Josh Gordon are among the 12 players currently contracted to the club next season.
Writers’ View
After Mat Sadler said that it would be impossible to keep all of the out-of-contract players at Walsall beyond this season, it was expected that a few players would head out the door. Oisin McEntee’s departure was expected with long-term links to the Scottish Premiership, whilst the limited involvement of the other three meant they would not be priority re-signings for the club. Donervon Daniels may be a big loss with his experience, but with his injuries, it is understandable why he has been moved on. With only 12 players currently contracted to the club, Mat Sadler has a lot on his hands to rebuild the squad to challenge for promotion once more.
