Inside Mason Hancock's Walsall deal: December talks and Mat Sadler's key role

The 22-year-old, signed from Scottish second-tier outfit Airdrieonians, has impressed during pre-season after arriving at Bescot as a relative unknown. 

Hancock rounded off pre-season with a pair of assists in the Saddlers' 3-0 win over Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, after delivering two excellent crosses for Jonny Stuttle and Aaron Pressley to score in the first half.

The former Fulham academy product looks set to succeed Liam Gordon on the left, with Vincent Harper also providing strong competition for places in his position.

December talks

But the process of bringing him on board started long before Gordon's exit to local rivals Port Vale, as was the case with Pressley, who joined from Stevenage earlier this summer.

"The first conversation I know came with my agent and the manager here back in December," Hancock revealed. 

"Walsall were top of the league by a healthy amount of points and it was really something I wanted to get done in January. 

"I'm not sure how far it progressed in January but nothing happened. I stayed in contact with the manager and then we finally got something sorted at the beginning of June." 

Prior to joining Walsall, Hancock had made four appearances for Aberdeen and had gained experience on loan at Stirling Albion and Arbroath. 

But it was his two years at Airdrieonians, where he scored eight goals and set-up six more in 68 appearances, which served as the catalyst behind his Walsall move.

Another huge criterion for Sadler is the character of any prospective signing and Hancock clearly has that in abundance. 

The club have become synonymous with developing young talent over the past two seasons and the player's character is a key component in gauging whether they're capable of fulfilling their potential. 

Not only that, but Sadler's intimate approach, and the lure of working under the young Walsall boss was a catalyst in Hancock choosing to pledge his alliances to the Saddlers.

The 'main man wants you'

"I had good conversations with other clubs in this league but the main thing was the manager was the one pushing it the whole time," he continued.

"It's always nice when the manager wants you. With a lot of clubs these days, it's the recruitment team, a head scout or a director of football, but it was the manager who really wanted me. 

"I've been to clubs where managers hardly get involved. You get signed, go in and you've never met them before. But the way Mat went about it really appealed to me. 

"That kind of feeling where the main man wants you. A lot of conversations were held and he told me he doesn't want me to get comfortable. 

"We had that conversation way before I joined. When it came down to it, I don't think I ever had another decision in my mind. 

"He wants this club to stand for something and I want to stand for something too. The way I want to play fits right into it."