Luke Leahy looking for more Walsall goals
Walsall’s Luke Leahy is enjoying the attacking responsibility that comes with being a rampaging wing-back.
The 24-year-old netted his first Saddlers goal on Saturday as Jon Whitney’s side secured a 1-1 draw at League One rivals Portsmouth, writes Joseph Masi.
Snapped up from Falkirk in the summer, Leahy played his best football for The Bairns at full-back after initially joining the club as a winger in 2012.
And while he hasn’t played wing-back before, the Coventry-born defender believes it’s a role that suits the attacking and defensive side of his game.
“I feel like I am adjusting to the role quite well.” Leahy said.
“It’s still going to take a few more games to get used to the pace and I’m still learning what moves players want.
“But I think, as a team, we have looked quite good playing with that system.
“The second half against Oldham was very good and we were good at Portsmouth as well.
“For me, it’s good because it’s all about getting up and down the pitch and I can do that all day.
“I’m just getting used to getting the ball with my back to play but we are working on it quite a lot.
“Hopefully, over the next couple of weeks, I’ll look like I have been playing there for a few years.”
Despite playing in defence, Leahy found the target fairly regularly while playing in Scotland.
And now he is playing in a more advanced role, he is hoping his goal at Fratton Park will be the first of many in a Walsall shirt.
“I definitely want more,” Leahy added,
“From full-back over the last three years I have got 12 goals, and playing higher up now as wing-back I’d liked to add a few more.
“Hopefully there will be more of the same.
“I actually wanted to hit the free-kick we won at the end of the game at Portsmouth but Joe Edwards told me he didn’t fancy me taking it, which is fair enough.
“I’m confident I can chip in with a few more.
“At Falkirk I was always an attacking full-back, the let the left mid would go wondering and it would all me to get to the back post.
“I scored quite a few goals from that position so I’m confident I can get a more more goals given the licence to get forward.”
