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Walsall trial freed Wolves winger
Tuesday 30th June 2009, 10:00AM BST.
Walsall have invited free agent midfielder Lewis Gobern for a trial following his release by Wolves.
The Birmingham-born player’s deal at Molineux runs out today, after the right-winger failed to earn a new deal with the Premier League new boys.
He is now set to join up with the Saddlers when they report back for pre-season training on Thursday.
Gobern has been blighted by a succession of serious knee and hamstring injuries, with his last appearance for Wolves as far back as December 2006.
The 24-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Walsall’s League One rivals Colchester, playing against the Saddlers in their 2-0 victory over the Us at the Banks’s Stadium in February.
Boss Chris Hutchings is keen to bring in a recognised wide player, after strikers Troy Deeney and Alex Nicholls filled in there last term.
Deeney began the season wide on the right under Jimmy Mullen but reverted to a striking role to great success under Hutchings, netting 10 goals in the last 22 games of the campaign.
The manager instead used Nicholls out wide, but the striker made no secret of his preference for playing up top.
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If this fella can stay fit he would be a hell of a player for you. I’m really disappointed that it didn’t work for him here (only due to injury) as he was a really direct winger – happy to take people on and get the crosses in. Good luck Lewis, i hope you can stay fit
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If he can stay fit he will be a good signing for Walsall, in the few games he played for wolves he showed good potential. Shame it never worked out at wolves but with Kights on board he wouldnt have a chance of getting in.
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I totally agree. Providing you have some decent centre forwards, there is no way that Walsall will struggle if you get Gobern and he is injury free. A class player!
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To hilight in the article a “succession of knee and hamstring injuries” doesn’t really fill me with confidence. I hope for his and Walsall’s sake it works out, but he seems like a big gamble.
Maybe an appearance insentive in his contract would be the best way forward, but if we went that way, knowing our board Hutch probably wouldn’t be allowed to play him second half of the season anyway!
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What is the likelihood of him staying fit? I agree with the wolves fans, sorry did I say that out loud ; ), would be a great player if we can get him fit, over to Jon Whitney :)
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It would only be a gamble if there was a transfer fee riding on it. He’s a free agent, shown real potential and will be a real handful.
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Well done to the Wolves fans for the sensible comments.
Hopefully the lad will get a contract and he will be the 1st of a number of new faces.
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Well, let’s hope he gets over his injury problems better than our last signing who had injury problem, Stephen ‘sicknote’ Roberts.
Always a gamble, I’d like to think we’ll make it incentive based on appearances.
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To answer your questions saddlers, he is very very injury prone BUT and its a big but, he looked like he would become a star in the few games he played for wolves. He is very direct, quick and whips in nice crosses, he even chipped in with the odd goal.
From a Saddlers perspective you are taking a slight risk but not really financially as his situation is known. Put it this way if he had no injury problems he would have played more and most likely be staying with Wolves.
I would really like to see Lewis fulfill his obvious potential, sometimes players have to take a step down to establish themselves after so many injuries.
Best of luck Lewis, and all the best to the Saddlers for next season.
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Could be an amazing player really struggled with injuries. I would have signed him up again because I thought he was going to one of the best players wolves have produced. Defo worth a bit of a gamble¬!
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HE’S IS ON TRIAL! The only transfers we will be getting are the ones that you have to lick the back and then apply pressure! Still, better value than stephen roberts though!
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Hey Walsall…..boy do you have a class player here. I for one also think his injury struggles are behind him. With this guy supplying the ammunition and also chipping in with double figure goal tally’s, you are gonna be championship again very soon.
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If he is that good he wont be playing 4 Walsall this season.
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Lewis Gobern. Or to give him his full name…Lewis “who?” Gobern.
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