Walsall issue update on James Furlong following second half withdrawal

Richard Keogh revealed Walsall left-back James Furlong was withdrawn in the second half due to cramp during their Carabao Cup second round tie against Leyton Orient on Tuesday.

Furlong became the Saddlers’ 14th summer signing when he penned a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months on Monday.

He made his debut just over 24 hours later, as Walsall bowed out of the cup in a 6-5 penalty shoot-out defeat following a goalless draw against their League One opponents.

Keogh explains Furlong withdrawal

The Irishman limped off on the hour-mark, but assistant Keogh did not have any concerns afterwards.

“I think it was just a little bit of cramp. He did fantastic on his debut,” Keogh revealed.

“James is a really nice boy and he really enjoys being around the group and I think that’s why he wanted to be here.

“He’s trained a few days with us and we felt like it was the right opportunity to give him a game.

“We expected him to blow up at some point, but I thought he was great and is going to be a really good addition.”

Furlong “wants to prove something” at Walsall

He continued: “He’s a hungry guy who wants to get his career back on track because he has had a few setbacks along the way.

“That’s exactly what we want in our group. The manager has spoken about it before: people that are hungry and want to prove something.

“So he fits really nicely into our group and we’re looking forward to working with him.”