Alex Nicholls set for 200th Walsall appearance

Alex Nicholls today insisted the sight of big milestones could become a thing of the past – on the eve of his Walsall double ton.

The striker will make his 200th outing at Carlisle tomorrow, a week after Jimmy Walker broke the Saddlers' appearance record.

Walker reached 530 games in the 0-0 draw at Brentford and with Nicholls set to post his own milestone he insisted it is becoming rarer.

"If I play I'll be very proud to have played 200 games for Walsall," said Nicholls. "It's a lot of games and I'm privilege to nearly have done it. But it's the most difficult way to do it, to come through the youth team and try to stay at the club.

"It doesn't happen too much – especially the way football is now with people moving clubs.

"People have a year at a club and then move, it's the hardest way and you don't see it much now.

"But you don't set out to play for a certain club and then look to leave. You want to better yourself and get yourself up the leagues but I'm really happy here. I keep tabs on things so I know when I'm reaching landmarks and I'm after Wacka – just another 330 to go.

"I think Manny (Smith) is after him too, it'll be a competition between me and him – Taunds (Richard Taundry) might be a late candidate too."

Nicholls has hit five goals this term – and 25 in his 199 games – as the Saddlers struggle in League One.

And the 24-year-old, who has started up front with Jon Macken recently, insisted he is happy to play anywhere to help their survival bid.

"It's been crazy really because I've always said I wanted to play up front but the emergence of Jamie Paterson means I've been deployed on the left a lot," he said.

"I'm just happy to be playing and although results haven't been there I am really enjoying my football at the moment."