Adam Chambers ready to commit to Walsall FC

Adam Chambers was today set to pledge his future to Walsall and begin the Saddlers' summer recruitment drive.

Boss Dean Smith confirmed the midfielder is ready to activate a clause in his contract to extend his stay by another year.

The former Albion midfielder, who is yet to put pen to paper, needed to play 30 games to take the option and made 36 appearances, leaving Smith expecting him to stay.

"He hasn't signed yet but I believe he is going to, Adam is for taking up his option," he said.

"He's a player who does a lot of work, a lot of the work he does goes unnoticed but the players know what he does.

"He's a quality player. You don't play in the Premier League if you don't have the ability."

Chambers, who signed from Leyton Orient last summer, missed most of the League One run-in after a freak ankle injury picked up against Scunthorpe in February.

The 31-year-old cut his ankle and then saw his first return aborted after he picked up an infection in the wound.

And Smith insisted he was pleased with Chambers' debut season but reckons there is more to come.

"He must have played a few games because the option was for 30 appearances and it was only a freak injury which kept him out," said Smith, who worked with Chambers when he was assistant manager at Leyton Orient.

"He's had consistent seasons at Orient, hopefully we'll see the best of him next year.

"When you saw him play with Florent Cuvelier and Sam Mantom you saw the type of player he is.

"When he was with Cuvelier at Scunthorpe he was fantastic and it was just a shame he got such and unfortunate injury. In the last game at MK Dons with Sam Mantom everyone saw what he could do."

Chambers could be the first to re-sign for the Saddlers ahead of the June 19 deadline set by the club.

Mat Sadler, Manny Smith, David Grof, Lee Beevers and Darryl Westlake are all considering deals while Alex Nicholls and Richard Taundry have one-year verbal offers.

Boss Smith revealed on Friday he is still in talks with goalkeeper and record appearance holder Jimmy Walker over a player/coach role.