Walsall hoping that Gray will stay

Walsall manager Chris Hutchings is hoping that his summer recruitment plans will include midfielder Julian Gray re-signing for the club.

The 30-year-old has headed for his break with a permanent offer from the Saddlers to consider, after impressing Hutchings during his short-term deal since February.

But Gray, the one time Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Coventry star, is likely to hold off signing a new deal until after weighing up all his options.

Hutchings admits: "I would like to keep him. The left-hand side has that calmness with Matt Richards, Jamie Vincent and Julian Gray. We will just have to wait and see where we will go with him.

"It's consistency and quality. If you are consistent you normally have a bit of quality about you."

"Julian has that and he doesn't normally give the ball away."

The manager revealed that Gray's end-of-season performances had been conducted despite the player being less than fully fit.

Hutchings said: "In recent weeks he had been playing with a groin injury which has been kept very, very quiet.

"He has had days off training, through fatigue of having time off and then coming in and playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday and not being at the club all the time. It's just caught up with him.

"Credit to him he has gone out and played in the last few weeks in a bit of discomfort. He has just kept it under his hat and got on with his job and has scored a few goals in recent weeks as well.

"But I was pleased with his contribution."

The Lewisham-born winger has led a nomadic career since its highpoint when his former Birmingham boss Steve Bruce was tipping him for an England call-up during his days at St Andrew's.

Since then Gray has fallen out of the spotlight with short spells at Barnsley and now the Saddlers after failing to convince Fulham, his last top-flight club, to keep him.