Lee Beevers gunning for former club

Lee Beevers was on the Colchester scrapheap six months ago - now the Walsall defender wants to prove time is a great healer.

The right-back has ousted the previous ever-present Darryl Westlake and is on a collision course with his former employers at the Community Stadium tomorrow.

Beevers was released in the summer, after an injury-ravaged spell restricted him to just 18 starts in two years.

Signed by then-manager Paul Lambert in 2009, a shoulder injury against Milton Keynes Dons – just five games into his Us career – ended his season.

Lambert's defection to Norwich and the appointments of Aidy Boothroyd and then John Ward saw Beevers struggle for games, before the Saddlers handed him a lifeline in July.

And now the ex-Lincoln ace wants to show his former club what they let go.

He said: "The writing was on the wall because of the injuries and the way the season went last year.

"You always know if you are going to leave and it was just a case of waiting for the time to come, because it felt like it was a bit set in stone.

"Tomorrow's a chance to go and show I'm still around, a chance to prove to them and myself I'm a good player.

"I was there for two years but the first year was a write-off. I just ended up playing for a year and even that was a bit stop-start. It's a case of going back and saying I'm fit and I can still play at a good level.

"It was a tough first year. I was out injured but I still enjoyed being there. Looking at the fanbase, Colchester and Walsall are similar-sized clubs but they don't have the competition we have here.

"They are out on their own a little. I have settled in well, it's quite a trek from Colchester to here so we had to up sticks and move the family but it's been good."

Beevers was, in part, a victim of Colchester downscaling, after throwing money at the side during the Lambert and Boothroyd eras.

They missed out on the play-offs under both and since then Ward – who spoke to Walsall about replacing Jimmy Mullen in 2009 – has struggled to challenge at the top.

The Us finished 10th last season but Beevers, who played 21 times last term, insisted they are just moving with the times.

He said: "They have looked at what's going on and taken money from the playing side of things a little.

"They're trying to get a training ground developed and trying to stabilise the whole club, rather than pushing up and trying to race through the league.

"They're trying to being more people through from the youth team. They've seen how the climate is and the money being wasted.

"If you can bring people through and sell them on you can make a lot more than if you throw money at the team.

"They're looking at it in a business sense."

But with United – who sit one spot above the 16th-placed Saddlers – as inconsistent as their visitors, Beevers believes Walsall can break their four-match winless streak.

He said: "It will be a hard place to go to. They've always had a good home record since they've moved there and, in the two years I was there, the record was unbelievable really."

Colchester are winless in their last five games and are desperate to reignite their season but boss Ward admitted he is wary of the returning Beevers.

Ward said: "It was a tough decision to let Lee go ,but I had to make that decision.

"It wasn't personal, that's not in my nature."