Video: John Ward takes up Walsall role

Walsall boss Dean Smith has added to his backroom staff by snapping up former manager John Ward.

The 64-year-old has joined the club as a professional development coach and will work with assistant boss Richard O'Kelly and academy manager Neil Woods to develop young players.

Ward, a former assistant to Graham Turner at Villa and Colin Lee with Wolves, also enjoyed a caretaker spell in charge at Molineux.

He's also been solely at the helm with clubs all through the Football League in York, Bristol Rovers, Bristol City, Cheltenham Town, Carlisle and Colchester.

He said: "It's nice to get back on the grass, get my boots on and start working with players again. I've always described myself as a coach who manages, rather than a manager who coaches.

"Working with teams and players individually – particularly with the young lads here now – in some ways, it's me giving something back to the game after an enjoyable career.

"My role is to help these young players to get in around the first-team, and support them emotionally, physically and tactically.

"It's about trying to develop them mentally, as well as physically, because physically they're fine – they're all good athletes.

"But mentally they've got a lot to deal with – making errors, dealing with good times as well as the difficult ones. So it's about helping them on the path of life, as much as in football."

Ward has been working with the club for the past three weeks and is encouraged by what he has seen, adding: "There's a lot of talent here."