League Two promotion and Wales under-21 cap - who is new Walsall defender James Connolly

Walsall completed the signing of former Crewe Alexandra defender James Connolly on Wednesday.

Connolly becomes the Saddlers’ fourth signing of the summer transfer window, after joining on a two-year deal with the option of a further year.

Here is everything you need to know about Lee Grant’s latest recruit.

A brief history of...

Born in Liverpool, Connolly started his footballing journey with Blackburn Rovers’ academy, before joining Cardiff City in 2021.

He joined Bristol Rovers on loan for the second half of the 2021-22 season and scored his first senior goal in a 3-1 victory over Port Vale in April.

Rovers romped to a 7-0 demolition of Scunthorpe United to pip Northampton Town on the final day - with future England international Elliot Anderson scoring the seventh goal that day.

His loan heralded 25 appearances in total and prompted Wales under-21s boss Paul Bodin to call him into the international set-up.

Connolly is eligible to play for the Dragons due to Welsh parentage and played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 win against Gibraltar on his only under-21s cap in June 2022.

After impressing on loan, Connolly returned permanently to the Mem Stadium later that summer.

He scored twice in 26 appearances in 2022-23, but spent the first half of the next campaign on loan at Morecambe.

The former Wales under-21 international scored twice in 17 appearances across all competitions, although he was recalled midway into the campaign.

Connolly made only 11 more appearances for Rovers before departing for Crewe in the summer of 2024.

In his debut season, Connolly played 20 times for the Railwaymen until a torn hamstring ruled him out for over four months.

He returned as a late substitute on the final day of the season in a 1-0 defeat against Walsall.

His highest scoring season came last term when he netted three times in 41 league appearances.

What do the numbers say?

Last season, Connolly averaged the sixth-most defensive contributions in League Two with 14.5 per 90.

He also made 1.3 blocks (second-most) and 10.9 clearances (ninth) per game - although Crewe did concede 58 times in the league (two more than Walsall).

His record of two own goals was the joint-most in the division and his pass percentage of 72 per cent is at best middle of the road.

How will he fit in at Walsall?

Walsall have been down to the bare bones in the centre of defence following the departures of Priestley Farquharson, Aden Flint and Evan Weir.

In addition, former loanee Kacper Lopata returned to his parent club Barnsley - while Harry Williams has missed the past year with an Achilles injury.

Harrison Burke and Rico Browne are the only two senior centre-backs in the squad, although the latter finished the previous campaign at right-back.

Connolly played in a back-three during 2024-25, but was deployed in a 4-2-3-1 last term.

So, he will be comfortable if Walsall switch formations - with Lee Grant set to play in a four with scope to shift to a three at times.