Darren Byfield gets Bellamy's drift

Express & Star columnist and Walsall captain Darren Byfield could see similarities with his own return when Craig Bellamy went to Cardiff this week.

First of all, let me welcome our new lads Jonathan Macken and Reuben Reid to the club.

They are two good players and it means Alex Nicholls and I are under a bit more pressure!

It's good, it's exactly how it should be. Competition means the club should do better. Everyone should be looking forward to it and not grumbling about more players. You play well and stay in.

Just because I'm captain does not mean I'm an automatic pick, no chance. You need to perform at all times. It doesn't matter who you are - you could be top scorer or captain - if you don't perform you're out of the side.

All this competition will make the players better and make the club improve. Everyone has to have the ambition to get out of the league.

I haven't actually trained that much with Jonathan this week because I've been nursing my Achilles injury, but he's had a great career and I'm sure he's going to be a success here.

Our new-boys aren't the only strikers to be moving this week and Craig Bellamy's loan switch to Cardiff from Manchester City caught my eye.

People have questioned it because he had his pick of any club and I know it's going to sound weird, but I don't even think it's that odd.

Bellamy was made available by a Premier League club who made it quite clear they wouldn't let him go to any side who would challenge them. So he's obviously just thought 'I might as well go home.'

He's away from his wife and kids all the time, so I don't think it's a bad move. He hasn't lost any wages and he's gone home.

It's a hell of a signing. I don't know Craig but, from what I see, I love what he does. He's a winner. He's got so much ability and could have easily gone to a top four club.

It's like me when I came back to Walsall. You're back at a club which you love. It's about the club, he had an affection for Cardiff and I have a big affection for Walsall.

I watched his press interview and I thought it was brilliant. He could have easily hammered his boss at City, Roberto Mancini, but you could tell he was just happy to be home.

I've been spending too much time relaxing at home because of my Achilles injury though. I've had it for the last couple of weeks. It takes a while to warm up and it's just really irritating and aggravating.

After we've trained I've been limping, so I spoke to the physio. He sent me for a scan on Tuesday and gave them permission, if there was something wrong, to give me an injection.

So I had a cortisone injection and have been resting it. I didn't really ask too many questions about it - I just wanted it fixed - but it was something to do with tendonitis on my Achilles.

I should be fit for tomorrow's game with Plymouth. You don't want to miss games and the older you get you want to play as many games as you can.