Walsall new boy Ryan Stirk can’t wait to link up with Danny Johnson again

“It’s perfect for me. I played with DJ a few times at Mansfield, and you know what you’re going to get from him,” Stirk observes.

“If you put the ball in the right place, he’s going to score. So having him back here is good for me because I know he’s going to help me a lot, and he’s going to be making the runs that need to be made. Hopefully he scores loads of goals.”

Stirk suffered heartbreak in the League Two play-off final with Mansfield in 2022, and tasted defeat once again in the National League play-off final at Bromley in May.

Both experiences served as a crucial stepping stone from academy to senior football, and Stirk is confident his previous loan spells will leave him in good stead ahead of his debut campaign at Bescot.

“Mansfield gave me the opportunity to play games in League Two and we did well as a team,” he said. “Individually, I felt I performed strongly. I played 30 odd games and we made the play-off final.

“The loan at Bromley was also very good. I got a few player of the month awards and I was able to play games when I was struggling for game time at Birmingham.

“It served as a stepping stone to come back to the Football League, and I’m definitely stronger for it.”

Mansfield boasted a clutch of experienced professionals during Stirk’s spell with the Stags.

As a young player, Stirk absorbed as much as possible when training alongside the likes of Stephen Quinn, James Perch, and Jordan Bowery – all of whom have played multiple times in the Premier League.

“They were all very supportive but Quinn helped me a lot,” Stirk reveals.

“We play in the same position, and he’s played at the very highest level. I felt I learned so much being around a player of his type of experience day in, day out.”