Evan Weir has plenty of examples to aspire to in quest for Walsall breakthrough
Mat Sadler insists Walsall defender Evan Weir has plenty of examples to aspire to in his quest to break into his first team plans.
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Weir impressed on only his second league start as Walsall extended their winning streak to seven games in League Two with a 2-1 comeback victory over Notts County on New Year's Day.
The 22-year-old, who made his previous league start in September, collected a pair of assists and produced a memorable goal-line clearance to help maintain the Saddlers' 12-point lead at the summit.
Sadler's decision to rest Taylor Allen, who himself enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2024 after previously being on the fringes, presented Weir with a rare chance in League Two.
And Weir's performance heralded high praise from his manager as Sadler paid tribute to his attitude during a challenging first six months in England.
He said: "I use those examples (such as Allen's rise) because we have got that. We've got loads of players that I can look back on and say this is what happened there.
"For me, I had a good chat with Evan a couple of weeks ago and made it clear how highly I think of him. It can be hard, you do a lot of work in the shadows when you've not been playing week in, week out.
"And he has come as a young player playing week in, week out. So sometimes it can be tough but he hasn't shown that.
"He is a wonderful person to work with and long may that continue."
