Florent Cuvelier: Walsall injury woes are a thing of the past

The 24-year-old experienced a stop-start campaign after signing for the Saddlers last summer following his release by Sheffield United, being sidelined at various points by an ankle injury, ear infection and calf strain.

Yet the 23 appearances he made fell just one short of his total for the previous three campaigns combined and Cuvelier claims his confidence looking ahead to next year is the highest it has been for some time.

“I still had a couple of niggles but I played a lot more games than I did before and I’m sure this year I’ll play even more again,” he said.

“I had a good run in the team last season and that gave me a lot of confidence.

“It showed me that I can still be the player I was a couple of years ago, and even better because I’ve played more games and got more experience.”

He continued: “Physically I’m feeling good. I’ve followed a very strict diet and I’ve felt the benefit from it. I feel really healthy in my body and I’ve followed the programme the gaffer asked us to do.

“Physically I feel good and I’m hoping to get a good pre-season under my belt and then a successful season.”

Cuvelier, who spent a loan spell with the Saddlers earlier in his career, put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension back in March and is eager to build on this year’s 14th-placed finish.

“For the team, I want us to finish higher than we did last season as we have a lot of potential. From a personal point of view, I want to play as many games as I can and be a key player for the team.

“Walsall is a very friendly club. It’s difficult to explain, but there’s a really nice atmosphere around the place that you don’t find very often at football clubs. As I’ve said before, on a Saturday if we’re doing well, it’s a great stadium to play at.”