Weston: Manny's the real deal for Walsall FC

Mar 26 2009 by Brian Halford, Birmingham Mail

RHYS Weston today flagged up young Walsall centre-back Manny Smith as a player who is “growing in stature game by game”.

At the start of 2009, Birmingham-born Smith had much to prove as he waited for another chance to establish himself in the Saddlers’ first team.

Injuries to other defenders gave him that opportunity – and the 20-year-old has seized his moment.

Smith will line up at home to Cheltenham on Saturday with confidence high, having looked thoroughly at home in the first team over the last eight games.

And the experienced Weston reckons his young team-mate has proved he has the raw ingredients to forge out a fine career.

“Manny has done a fantastic job,” Weston said.

“He is one of the players who has really blossomed under the new regime.

“He has been unfortunate in the last couple of years. When he first started coming through we had Scott Dann and Anthony Gerrard and then Ian Roper behind them.

‘‘Scott and Anthony were arguably the best centre-back pairing in the division and it was always going to be difficult to break into the team with them there.