Scott Dann and Daniel Fox saluted Walsall manager Richard Money’s role in propelling them into the England spotlight.
The former Saddlers duo made their under-21 international debuts at Molineux last night just two months after leaving the Banks’s Stadium for Coventry in deals worth a combined £1.5m.
And both defenders paid tribute to Money and his staff for putting them on track for international honours.
Central defender Dann, who played against Poland as a substitute last night, said: “I owe a lot to Walsall for giving me a start.
“Richard Money gave me my break at the start of last season and helped me a lot.
“So did the other coaches there – people like Mick Halsall and Eric McManus.
“They brought me up well and I’m sure they’re happy for me and I’m just delighted to be up at this level. I thank everyone at Walsall for all they did for me.”
And the £1m centre back revealed he still speaks regularly to friends at the Banks’s Stadium including former Saddlers goalkeeper Mick Kearns, who he lodged with when he moved from Liverpool as a teenager.
“I speak to Mick quite a lot and I still pop around to his house,” said Dann.
“I’ve been back a couple of times to see the coaches and they have done a lot for me so I’ll keep in touch.”
While Dann stepped off the bench for his debut Fox played for 90 minutes after his early displays for the Sky Blues earned him rave reviews.
And Fox had praise afterwards for both Money and under-21s boss Stuart Pearce, who Fox has been compared to by Coventry fans who remember Pearce at Highfield Road.
“Richard Money is top class,” said Fox.
“He is a great coach and everyone will tell you that.
“I wanted to improve myself and play at a higher level and I am doing that now and enjoying every minute of it.
“Stuart Pearce came up to me after the game and said well done but then gave me a bit of a roasting and told me how I can get better.
“I can only listen and learn because of how well he did in his career.
“I will take things on board. Hopefully that will improve my game.”
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4 Comments
2 words “who cares?”
Dann and Fox are as much criminals for demanding to leave as Bonser is for allowing them.
P.S. What about a striker and another defender? No spare attackers and Roper (even with his goal) is poor and weak.
Walsall => Falling quicker than an apple onto Newtons head.
Well done Fox and Dann and all the best for the future, they are young footballers who wanted to better themselves, unlike one blood sucking leach who I could mention
Football these days to footballers is a job, to us the fans its a passion, and if anyone one of us got offered a higher wage and better recognition somewhere else we would take it. Bonser did right in letting them go, no point having players who dont want to wear the colours. i do agree though £1.5 million for dann and Fox and we get Roper as a replacemnt that is not good enough. But know one can moan at where we are in the league. just keep cheering on the lads or else the on Man (Money) that saved us will walk aswell.
I really can’t understand all the furore that the sale of these two players is causing.
Historically we have always had our best players poached.It’s the one factor of life that as Walsall supporters
we have to live with.
Richard Money is an excellent manager, but make no mistake, if a team with ambition and the money to back it up, Money would go. Just as every single person who is offered a much better job with all that that entails
would do.
Lets face it if some large club, in fact any premier or half descent league one side, made Money a good offer, he would be a total fool to reject it.
I think that he’s done a brilliant job for us and long may it reign, but if the day comes when a premier side calls Take the money and run like hell DD
We’ll still be here on your way down.