Walsall comment: Rico Henry exit a good deal – but still a bitter pill

Perhaps inevitably, it is Brentford where the England under-19 international will now be playing his football – with the defender keen to be reunited with former boss Dean Smith.

Since joining the Saddlers as an 11-year-old, Henry has looked upon Smith as a father figure. It's a relationship that first formed while Smith worked as the club's head of youth. It then got stronger as the boss guided Henry into the first team.

Walsall fans will understand Henry has had his head turned by a bumper new contract, the bright lights of London and the promise of Championship football. But that won't stop supporters venting their disappointment at yet another departure.

Having always opted to keep transfer fees undisclosed, the Walsall hierarchy took the unprecedented step of confirming Henry moved to Griffin Park for an initial £1.5m.

It's a deal that, with add ons, could rise to a staggering £5million if the youngster goes on to reach his undoubted potential.

Once hailed by Smith as the next 'Ashley Cole,' Henry is surely a Premier League player in the making. It also wouldn't surprise too many Saddlers if he went on to play for the senior England side. Nevertheless, if Walsall do get anything near the £5million mark – it represents great value for a League One left back, although one with great potential.

Fans though are not concerned about money. It's ambition they crave and their club being able to hold on to its best players.

In January, Walsall turned down cash offers for Henry, Tom Bradshaw and Romaine Sawyers as they looked to give it everything they could to reach the Championship. But after missing out by a solitary point, the majority of players felt the time had come to move on.

Having promotion within touching distance and then seeing almost the entire team decimated has been painful for fans to endure.

And while Neil Etheridge, Kieron Morris and Adam Chambers remain, Walsall now seem to be starting another long term plan.

Over the past three years, Saddlers have seen the benefits of a team growing together. And now Jon Whitney and coaches Dean Holden and Neil Cutler need to be given the same time afforded to Smith when he took over.

They are learning on the job, of course they are, with Whitney and Cutler taking leading roles for the first time while Holden's only other coaching position was at Oldham. But Saddlers fans can rest assured that all three will work around the clock to try and bring success to the club.

Already they have built an exciting team with Erhun Oztumer, Florent Cuvelier, Franck Moussa, Andreas Makris and Amadou Bakayoko all reasons for optimism.

And while there is no doubt the sale of Henry, the 10th major departure of the summer, is a hammer blow to everyone connected with Walsall – it does not mean the philosophy implemented over the past five years cannot bring success once again.

It will though take patience, something that is now almost non-existent in the modern football world.