Florent Cuvelier ready to step up

Florent Cuvelier today insisted he can handle the relegation heat and repay Walsall's faith.

The Stoke loanee is pushing to start Saturday's vital trip to relegation rivals Scunthorpe and is ready prove his worth to the Saddlers.

He made his senior debut in English football in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Notts County and insisted he will take his international experience into the League One relegation battle.

"I deal with pressure and I've got a little experience with that already because I've played in two European Championships with Belgium," said the under-19 international. "There were 5,000 to 7,000 people watching the games. You learn how to deal with it and this is another level again.

"League One has got a good standard of teams and players and physically it will help me learn how to deal with stronger and taller players. It's another important part of the game and it's another thing I can learn from."

The midfielder, who signed on a month's loan last Friday, hadn't played a senior game before his second-half cameo against the Magpies.

He admitted to feeling nervous before the game but is eager to treat his time at the Banks's Stadium seriously. with the Saddlers out of the drop zone on goal difference.

"You are always nervous but nervous in a good way. I love to play football no matter where I am – I just want to win and play well," said the former Portsmouth starlet, who joined Stoke in 2010.

"I need to be patient, it's a big chance. When you receive one you have to take it and Walsall is the first chance I've received and I don't want to mess about with it.

"There are lots of very good things which are going to happen to me and I want to take the next few weeks very seriously.

"I've only been here a few days but I've been impressed. All the players have been very nice since I first arrived."