Walsall boss Michael Flynn excited about new strike duo

Walsall signed Stevens on loan from Forest Green Rovers just before the transfer window closed and and he will link up with his former team-mate Jamille Matt.

Flynn is hoping the duo will score the goals to fire the Saddlers to the play-offs at the end of the season and says he is also excited to see them in action together.

Stevens scored 27 goals for Forest Green last season as the Gloucestershire side won the League Two title, but missed most of the first half of the season through an ACL injury he sustained in April. Flynn said: “Matty is young, fit and determined.

“He has fighting qualities on and off the pitch and has already told me he doesn’t mind getting ten stitches in his head as long as he gets a goal so that’s good enough for me.

“He could have taken the easy option and gone to a club nearer to where he lives but he was keen to join us for football reasons and is tried and tested at this level as his recent record shows. In terms of his rehabilitation, he has been back for a while since around October and is ahead of Conor (Wilkinson), who suffered the same injury but he started at Salford.

“I don’t pick the Forest Green team, but he is now a Walsall player and ready to come in and score goals along with Jamille that will hopefully get us into the play- offs.

Matt said he was looking forward to linking up again with his ‘new’ strike partner.

He said: “He is a fantastic player who I have enjoyed playing with before and a nice lad as well .

“We have enjoyed a fruitful partnership before and the aim will be to do that again.

“I know Matty is someone who will work his socks off for the team – he is a natural goalscorer and a winner so I was delighted when we managed to get him on board.”