"I see a 17-year-old Aden Flint" - The story behind Stan Straw's rise at Walsall

That might seem like a big statement from former Walsall academy boss Rob Williams - but then he has not come across many youngsters quite like Stan Straw. 

The 17-year-old was rewarded for his recent rise when he penned his first professional deal with the Saddlers on Monday.

Straw arrived from West Brom's development team in the spring of 2023 and immediately stood out during his trial. 

'He stood out by a country mile'

"He first came in on trial when he was at the back end of his under-14 years but he was almost a year younger than every else," Williams revealed. 

"For whatever reason he hasn't got a look in at West Brom development and he was stood out by a country mile from the moment when first walked through the door.

"His stature was obvious. He wasn't as filled out as he is now but he was a beanpole of a kid. 

"He lacked a lot technically and needed a lot of work, but sometimes you see players that just love defending. 

"You don't see lots of those at the moment but he loved defending, he loved heading it and he scored a lot of goals when he first came in." 

Straw shines on Walsall debut

Walsall vowed to use the EFL Trophy as a platform to promote academy talent and Straw emerged as the shining star of that ploy. 

He had just turned 17 when Priestley Farquharson went down on the cusp of half-time in the opening group game at local rivals Shrewsbury Town in September 2025. 

Williams alongside his fellow academy staff watched on like a proud parent as he made his senior bow. 

"When he came on against Shrewsbury, the first thing he did was shout Stan nice and loud before winning his first header," he remembered. 

"He's no shrinking violet and he would always be able to cope with those sorts of things. If everything went to plan then we knew he was going to get on to the pitch but it wasn't the intention to get him on that early. 

"I spoke to Mat Sadler afterwards and they were weighing up whether to bring him on or go with something different. In the end, they went: 'Let's do it'. 

"I'm really glad they did and that first moment will stick with me for a long time." 

Walsall had been under the cosh at that point and headed into the interval locked at a goal apiece in Shropshire. 

But Straw showed a maturity beyond his years to settle down the defence and helped inspire the Saddlers to a 3-1 victory. 

Remarkable journey in EFL Trophy

It set the tone for a fruitful EFL Trophy for the promising teenager. 

"He told me he was nervous, but he was absolutely fine after that first moment," he continued. 

"We know their character because we're around them all the time, but you could see that he settled really well. 

"He had trained with the group multiple times beforehand and he had trained in the back-three that was on the pitch too. 

"So it wasn't like he was completely a fish out of water. That was a massive positive and he kind of rolled through the competition from there. 

After featuring three times from the bench in the group stage - Straw stepped up to convert his penalty in a shoot-out success over Chelsea under-21s. 

Sadler presented him with his first start in a 2-1 victory at Stevenage in the round of 32 in early December and Straw finished the evening with the man-of-the-match award. 

He went on to start the Saddlers' 4-2 defeat at Northampton in the last 16 the following month but Walsall were also eager to expose him to the rigours of senior football elsewhere. 

"Under-18 football doesn't prepare them for that, it's so far removed from first team football," Williams acknowledged. 

"We started doing more and more loans because we've got to find moments for them to experience being around men. 

"Not just our first team, but in a dressing room where you need to win. It's very different to be around boys - the environment is different, the dressing room is different. 

"There are different crowds. We play in front of 40 odd people and most of those are parents. It might be a struggle, it might be a stretch, but it will only help them." 

Vital loan experience at Halesowen 

Straw experienced the impulsive nature of football as soon as he joined non-league Halesowen on a one-month loan in October last year. 

The youngster excelled on his debut at Royston Town which looked destined to end in victory when Jason Cowley put Halesowen ahead after 35 minutes. 

But an 89th-minute equaliser from Josh Boorn salvaged a point for the hosts and exposed Straw to a very different dressing room experience. 

"He had a really good game and I think he got man-of-the-match but there was a changing room bust-up between our own players," Halesowen boss Russ Penn revealed. 

"When I spoke to him afterwards, he said that was the first time he had ever witnessed anything like that. 

"I told him as you get older, the games get more ruthless and three points are everything, but it was a great learning curve for him."

Straw featured just three times for the Yeltz - but he left an impression on Penn. 

"One thing that stuck out was that he had an older head on his shoulders," Penn noted. 

"He also had that old-school trait in him. He is strong, thick-set, likes to head, likes to tackle and he looks like he's going to be a manager's dream. 

"And at the age of 17 - that is just fantastic." 

What does the future hold for Straw?

Straw is no stranger to the first team set-up at Walsall and first trained with the senior squad after just turning 16. 

There is great promise surrounding him but Williams has highlighted the importance of managing his rise correctly. 

"I would imagine he will get lots of exposure during pre-season and once again in the EFL Trophy next season," he concluded. 

"He's not going to be a regular starter. He's not in that place yet - certainly if Walsall go up. 

"But I think he could easily be involved in multiple squads and get multiple minutes next year, but he also needs a really good loan. 

"It would do him the world of good to play week in, week out, somewhere in the National League North possibly. 

"In a year's time, he could be more than ready to play lots of minutes in the first team if needed. 

"Next year is the journey part for him and it will be really important how Walsall manage that."