Lee Grant outlines his quest to bring "excitement" to Walsall fans

Lee Grant says he wants Walsall fans to be “excited” by the future - but admits it’s his job to shape the mood of the fan base.

A feeling of despair and relief greeted the end of the previous campaign, after Walsall succumbed to a 13th-place finish in League Two.

That saw them fall short of promotion for the second successive season despite topping the League Two table at Christmas in both.

But Grant is eager to engage supporters in his project, which he feels he is capable of doing.

‘We’ve got work to do’ - Grant eager to get fans on side

“We really want them to be excited about what’s coming,” the new head coach Grant explained.

“My goal is to try and have them feel really engaged and excited about this group of players that will be coming in.

“We’ve got work to do in terms of how we recruit to shape their feeling and idea about what we might be - and encourage that excitement.

“I want them to be really excited with what we do, but it’s our job to help shape that and encourage them with our performances and work.”

Despite the highs and lows, Walsall fans have still turned out in force, especially on the road - and Grant is hungry to reward that commitment.

Grant hails Walsall’s ‘unwavering’ support

“They’ve shown over the past couple of years that there support is unwavering,” he added.

“The average attendances tell me that their support for the group, despite their frustrations at the back end of the last two seasons, has still been fantastic.

“We’re really excited about welcoming them back in a couple of months time and having them with a renewed energy about this group.

“And it will be a new group and the start of a new story in many respects for this football club.

“We look forward to having them on board with us on this journey.”