Mat Sadler highlights Walsall's loan player advantage after January window shuts

Walsall lost in-form striker Nathan Lowe, who scored 18 goals in 30 appearances during the first half of the season, when he was recalled by Stoke City last month. 

Lowe's departure represented the third successive January window where Walsall had been stung by recalls following Freddie Draper and Danny Johnson in the previous two years. 

Sadler has dipped into the loan market again, with the signings of Nathan Asiimwe, Alfie Chang, Darius Lipsiuc, Ethan Wheatley and Ellis Harrison. 

And when asked if he views the loan market as a "necessary evil", Sadler disagreed, claiming that Walsall is now a place where teams want to send their young players, which he feels has not always been the case. 

He said: "I don't see it as a necessary evil. There should be no other way of looking at it, other than that Nathan (Lowe) had a fantastic loan for us. 

"Brilliant, now we have to find the next one. That's football, that's life. I've got no problem with that and I love the fact that we played a part in Nathan's journey. 

"As a football club, that's how we work and that's how we operate. What we're doing and trying to do now is to be a place where people want to bring their young players which I don't think has always been the case. 

"It certainly hasn't been the case since I've been back second time around but it was that place and it certainly was under Dean Smith. 

"We have to continue to be exactly that and do exactly that. I don't see it as an evil, I see it as brilliant and we have to get the next."