Walsall boss Mat Sadler thrilled with spirit of midfielder
Walsall boss Mat Sadler has praised Ryan Stirk's "exceptional" attitude during a difficult spell following his ankle injury on Boxing Day.
Stirk started in each of Walsall's opening 24 fixtures in League Two and set-up both goals in a 2-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra before spending a fortnight on the side lines.
The midfielder, who signed from Birmingham City last summer, made his return from the bench in a 3-1 defeat at Stockport County on January 13 but ultimately struggled to displace an in-form Jack Earing from the starting XI.
He played just 110 minutes across the next 13 games but featured in all of Walsall's final eight games after Earing was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
"Ryan was one of our best players this season and had played more or less every minute of every single game up until around Christmas," Sadler said.
"You can see the work that Ryan put in to make sure he was ready to come back. His attitude has been absolutely exceptional.
"With Ryan and Brandon (Comley) - we're very lucky to have the players in that area that we do have."
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