Express & Star

Walsall hero Ray Graydon: Fitness a trust issue

Walsall legend Ray Graydon has called for the current crop of players to prove they can be ‘trusted’ by keeping fit in the down time without fixtures.

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The 72-year-old is widely thought of as one of the club’s greatest ever managers after two promotions to the old Division One in his four-year spell with the Saddlers.

Now, with all fixtures postponed until at least April 30 due to the coronavirus outbreak, Graydon insists the players must repay Darrell Clarke by keeping in top condition away from the training ground, if training sessions come to a halt.

“At this stage those players that are not mixed with the group have to be very honest and keep themselves fit,” he said. “We all know that there are players out there that don’t have that drive to keep fit.

“If you want to get promotion or do something special you have to be fit and if you have one or two that don’t want to do it, then they’re letting the team down. The group needs every single one to come back as good as they left, and not to have packed it in.

“There’s nothing more important, it means the manager can go ahead without worrying about a player that hasn’t kept himself in good shape.

“Players can come back and get injuries otherwise – you have to trust the players to do the work. When they come back they should get into it as quick as they can and start playing football.”

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