When Paul Marshall arrives at Walsall tonight he will come face to face with the manager he rejected in the summer – the person he calls a “nutter.”

The midfielder could have been lining up against the Saddlers this evening had visitors Oldham come up with the cash following his release from Aberdeen.

Marshall became close to Latics boss Paul Dickov when starting out at Manchester City, with the striker a seasoned Eastlands professional.

Once he took over at Boundary Park, Dickov made his move, eager to add the youngster to his Latics revolution.

But Marshall plumped for the Saddlers and since then it has been a tumultuous ride dropping in and out of the team.

However, the 20-year-old has no regrets.

He said: “I get on well with Paul and he wanted to take me to Oldham at the start of the season.

“He had just got the job and had a lot of players he couldn’t afford to get rid of, the club couldn’t just pay them off, so he said ‘listen, I can offer you a contract but I’m not sure what the contract will be.’

“Obviously Walsall offered me a deal and I needed some security, so it wasn’t a hard choice to make.”

But Marshall has offered an insight into the mind of the former Leicester and Blackburn star and warned his team-mates not to cross the pint-sized striker.

He said: “Paul is a nutter. In training at Manchester City we’d do little circles when we were warming up and he’d always try two-footed tackles on everyone and take you out.

“At City he would join in the sessions and played a few reserve games. I like him a lot. He taught me about attitude and to keep working hard every day. That’s how he plays and taught everyone else to play.

“He played in a reserve game for us against Blackburn and one of their lads said to him ‘I heard you’re hard, but I’m harder’ – the guy went off with a broken nose 10 minutes later.”

Dickov has only made one brief substitute appearance this term as he gets to grips with management.

But Marshall knows his pal will find the juggling act a struggle and admitted he would have found it tough playing under him.

He said: “I know a few at Oldham and he knows how to get the best out of the lads and has a good bit of banter.

“Earlier in the season they were drawing 1-1 with Bristol Rovers and he just took his gear off and went on – he’s player-manager so he’s allowed – but that’s the kind of guy he is, he’s like one of the lads but the manager. That’s not the best thing in the world but he’s got a serious side as well.

“If I went to Oldham it would be pretty weird for me to take him seriously as a manager, because I knew him from before and I’m his mate.”

The Latics are League One’s surprise package this term after being one of the favourites for the drop at the start of the season.

Dickov has taken them to eighth, a point off the play-offs, after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Brentford – something Marshall isn’t surprised about.

He said: “I knew he was going to get his team playing, that’s the kind of guy he is. He believes in fitness and doing a lot of running, which he hopes will give them a better chance.

“I’ve seen a few interviews where he’s admitted he wasn’t a great player, but what he used to do was work his backside off and defend from the front.

“That’s what he’s got his team doing and that’s why they’re doing well.”

Marshall isn’t part of Dickov’s high-flyers and not only is he missing out on a play-off challenge but he also lost his place to Norwich loanee Matt Gill in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Exeter.

And the former Aberdeen ace wants to finally nail down a regular starting spot at Walsall.

He said: “I’ve been in and out of the team which is frustrating for me and I just need to stay in the side.

“I came here to play games and I want to establish myself.”

It’s easier said than done after Gill’s impressive debut with the loan signing likely to get the nod in an unchanged midfield.

Will Grigg could return for the disappointing Alex Nicholls, but manager Dean Smith is expected to keep faith with the majority of the team who failed to grab a deserved point in Devon on Saturday.

By Nick Mashiter