Walsall v Harrogate: Taylor Allen looking to play part in Saddlers revival

Born in Bilston and raised in Wednesbury, Allen started his football journey in non-league at Romulus before eventually earning a move to Forest Green Rovers in 2019.

He had a handful of loans during his time there before joining the Saddlers as a free agent in the summer.

Now, as the 22-year-old hopes to regain his place in the starting XI for tonight’s visit of Harrogate Town, Allen admits that he took previous opportunities for granted and he is now ready to make every second count.

Allen said: “My loans in the past, when I look back, I wasn’t impressed with how I went about them really.

“My last year at Forest Green, being around what I was, kind of woke me up a little bit.

“I had a little talk to myself about how I need to start working harder, pushing myself harder.

“This year I’ve come into Walsall and tried to take everything I’ve learned over the last couple of years into Walsall.

“Obviously I’m playing more now, still learning about myself, hopefully I can kick on more.

“I came from non-league, I didn’t come from an academy, it was a bit of change.

“I’d got my first professional contract and then I went out on loan to these teams and it was a bit like ‘Okay, I don’t understand why I’m here’. That’s how I feel now, looking back at it.

“But from last year onwards I’ve got my head straight and tried to improve myself as much as I can.”

Allen will be desperate to earn a return to the starting XI tonight, and moving Hayden White to centre-back and resting veteran Peter Clarke may see Allen come back into the side.

Liam Bennett took a knock to the head at the weekend but carried on playing and he is expected to be available tonight, meaning he could move to right-wing-back and open up a space for Allen on the left.

Meanwhile, boss Michael Flynn has been left impressed by his side’s work-rate and running statistics in recent weeks, and hopes it will leave them in good stead for the season.

He said: “They’re playing at a level they’ve not been used to, even last season they weren’t used to the level I wanted to play at and distances I wanted to cover.

“Last Tuesday night (in the Papa John’s Trophy) we did over 106km, I know we lost the game but it just shows the fitness is of a high standard.

“They’re a fit, fit group because they’re constantly now doing over 100km as a team, which is good.

“Funnily enough I used to do it when Hats (Wayne Hatswell) was my coach at Newport! We had a brutal pre-season, it’s hard, most of it’s with the ball – some runs without – but a lot of ball work.

“It does set you up in a healthy position for the rest of the season.”