Potential trump card - why loanee Rico Richards presents Walsall with a plan B
Walsall loanee Rico Richards has been firmly on the fringes since arriving from Port Vale on transfer deadline day in September.
There was a sense that his loan could be set to draw to a premature and unceremonious end until his match-winning brace at Stevenage in the EFL Trophy offered a glimmer of hope in early December.
Mat Sadler was adamant that Richards could play as a 'second striker' when he joined but had initially been reluctant to experiment with him in attack.
Instead, Richards flattered to deceive in midfield and looked desperately short of match sharpness on the rare occasions he was called upon.
Richards' renaissance at Walsall
Richards has amassed a mere 44 minutes of action across his four appearances from the bench in League Two.
The EFL Trophy offered him perhaps his only chance of making good of his time at Walsall and his performances in the knockout stages has also left Sadler with plenty to ponder.
