'Good head on his shoulders' - Walsall defender Stan Straw hailed after first senior start
Mat Sadler has praised the mentality of young Walsall defender Stan Straw after he made his senior start in their 2-1 comeback win at Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.
The centre-back, who only turned 17 in August, was handed his maiden start for the Saddlers after featuring three times from the bench during the group stage.
Straw completed the full 90 minutes and impressed in the centre of the back-three, as Rico Richards delivered a second half double to book Walsall's place in the next round.
Boss Sadler said: "I saw him hug his dad at the end there. It was about 75 minutes and I thought, is it starting to take its toll on him now?
"Then I got a message on to the pitch and he told me that he was alright. He just continued to head everything in the middle of that defence.
"He has got a long journey ahead of him. I remember me being 17 and you don't realise what's still ahead.
"There's so much and you think it's going to be a straight line, but it isn't. What he does have is a super strength, he is a magnet to the football.
