Mat Sadler keen to 'empower' emerging leaders at Walsall
Mat Sadler believes Walsall boast an abundance of "emerging leaders" both young and old throughout the squad.
Boss Sadler handed Ryan Stirk the captaincy for the second time this term, as Walsall held Premier League outfit Leicester City to a goalless draw in the EFL Cup third round, before losing 3-0 on penalties at Bescot on Tuesday.
Taylor Allen, Oisin McEntee, Albert Adomah and Jamille Matt have all worn the armband in club captain Donervon Daniels' absence in recent weeks and Sadler intends to keep empowering the importance of leadership within his squad.
He said: "I thought about that before the game. I'm thinking about who to give the armband to and we've had Donervon, Oisin, Taylor, Jamille, Albert and Stirky.
"It's a growing list of young and emerging leaders which I want to encourage. I want to keep that going and we'll see others in the future because we've got a group of people that believe.
"They're all together and we've got to keep going and keep rolling with that. I want to keep empowering them to do that."
Charlie Lakin and Albert Adomah missed golden chances in either half to open the scoring for Walsall, who reduced Leicester to scraps with an inspiring performance both in and out of possession.
Adomah made his 700th professional club appearance against the Foxes and Sadler paid tribute to the veteran for reaching such a monumental individual milestone.
"To get 700 appearances is an incredible achievement," Sadler noted. "It's hard and to play for that long, and continue to do so with that enthusiasm and smile on his face.
"People sing his name here and he's only been at the club for two or three months. That doesn't just happen, it happens because of the person that he is and the esteem that he's held in. And he's exactly the same here."
