Academy Manager Williams leaving Walsall after four years

During his time at the helm, Ronan Maher, Joe Foulkes, Dylan Thomas, Charlie Wragg, Paul Makavore, McLoyd Oben and Stan Straw all made their professional debuts for the Saddlers.

Williams said: “It’s a bittersweet feeling. I love Walsall – it’s a great club and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here – but there are some opportunities that you either don’t expect to come round or ones that you can’t turn down.

“The club is in a great spot, especially when you look at where we were when I came back to the club as Academy Manager. We’ve made great strides across all age groups and we’ve continued to develop players and make them better- there’s a clear pathway across the board, we’ve got a solid set of staff behind the scenes and have a good reputation locally.

“There’s been some great memories and I’d like to thank everyone at the club for their support during my time at the club. I wish everybody well but now is the time for me to move on and leave it in someone else’s safe hands.”

Meanwhile, Terry Connor, who has been Mick McCarthy’s Assistant for the Republic of Ireland and for a host of clubs, is joining Walsall’s first-team coaching staff on a short-term basis.

Connor will assist Manager Mat Sadler for a few months while Gary Waddock is recovering from ankle surgery.

“I’m delighted to be here,” Connor said. “I was delighted when I got the call from Mat to ask if I could come and assist him for the next few months while Gary’s recuperating and I was delighted to get back on the grass.

“My hope is when Gary returns to work that Walsall are still top, if it can be by more points – great. I’m here to give some experience and a bit of help, have a quiet word here and there so hopefully I’ll be a good influence over the players and pass on little bits of information that I’ve gained over the years.”

Walsall are currently top of League Two. Their Academy placed 55th in TGG’s Academy Productivity Rankings for 2024/25, up from 60th the previous season.