Harrison Burke: Walsall reset has helped draw a line over last season

Walsall defender Harrison Burke says the club’s summer overhaul has helped clear the cloud of disappointment from last season.

Burke saw his debut campaign interrupted by a long-term knee injury, which consigned him to the side lines for nearly four months.

The 23-year-old still scored twice in 22 appearances in League Two, although Walsall plummeted from the league summit at Christmas to finish in 13th-place.

“I feel like that cloud has almost gone”

Since, Walsall have appointed Lee Grant as the new head coach, offloaded 14 players and welcomed six new faces - and Burke felt that a reset was needed.

“If I’m honest it wasn’t just the manager [who drew a line over last season]. I think the club drew a line quite well too,” Burke said.

“It was a big refresh in the summer with a lot of lads out and a lot of new lads in.

“I feel like that cloud has almost gone. I’m not saying anything negative about the lads that have gone, I’m more saying that these new lads weren’t really a part of it.

“So, they don’t really see what has happened. Like when I joined, I wasn’t there for the season before.”

Burke likened the situation to the previous summer when he arrived following the Saddlers’ infamous promotion collapse and subsequent play-off final defeat.

“We’ve got to prove to the fans” - Burke on the new season

And for those that remain, including himself, Burke is eager to prove a point and draw a line over last season.

He added: “For the lads that were here last year, we’re just trying to get it out of our system and get it out of the way.

“A lot of us were disappointed with game time, so we’ve got a point to prove to the fans that we’re ready to play for this club.

“I wouldn’t say there has been a conversation on it. It’s just been: let’s get to work, this is what we want and we don’t want to be in this league next season.”