Darren Byfield's warning on Walsall

Walsall striker Darren Byfield has warned his future team-mates not to bother signing if they are out for one last pay day.

The 33-year-old insists only the best will do for the Saddlers and expects any new faces to arrive at full tilt to spearhead a promotion charge.

The Saddlers finished 10th – 18 points off the League One play-offs – last season and Byfield believes only players with desire can help them bridge the gap.

He said: "They can't just play for cash. You can get it at any ages, 35 or 28, people come and just want to play for the money but you've got to have the right players to achieve, whatever age they are at.

"That's the ambition we want at the club. They've got to come here wanting to get promoted. When I was here first time in 2001 no one expected us to get promoted but we believed we could.

"No one believed we could get to the play-off final but we did. The same thing has happened at Blackpool and they're in the Premier League now.

"If you come here, thinking 'eighth or ninth, that would be a good season', that's not good enough for me. You have to be ambitious in anything you're doing.

"The lads we bring in have got to be ambitions as well."

The veteran striker has been getting calls from potential team-mates who are all eager to move to the Banks's Stadium.

Manager Chris Hutchings is waiting on the eight players offered new deals to commit before making his moves in the transfer market, but Byfield has still been inundated with requests.

He said: "I am suggesting players, I'm always at him and I think the gaffer is sick of me going in there and saying 'so and so wants to come.'

"Because of the clubs I've had I know a lot of people and I've had a lot of calls regarding them wanting to come to Walsall. All I do is pass them on to the gaffer.

"It's fresh, new, faces and that livens up anyone, seeing what they bring to the team. Are they strong in the air, a good finisher or have lots of pace?

"Anything like that, it excites the players as well as the fans and it gives you a fresh look on the season."