One-hundred goal Darren Byfield hopes to end playing days at Walsall

Dec 7 2009 by Paul Castles, Birmingham Mail

AFTER notching the 100th goal of his career, Walsall striker Darren Byfield said he was hoping for an extended contract and would like to end his playing days at Bescot.

The former Villa star has served quite a few clubs since his apprenticeship at Villa Park and is delighted to be back near his Midlands home, and supporters are hoping his form will not lead to a bigger club snapping him up next month.

Byfield, who has bagged seven goals this season, said: “My current contract is up in January, and hopefully the chairman will give me a ring and we can get something sorted.

“I want to stay at Walsall, no ifs and buts. When you are scoring goals other clubs come sniffing around but I’m back home and want to stay here. The gaffer (Chris Hutchings) has said he wants me to stay, at least to the end of the season, and hopefully we can extend it to the end of next season, which would be nice.”

Byfield said he was naturally pleased to have notched his 100th goal but would have preferred it to have coincided with a win rather than the home defeat by Southampton.

He added: “Although we didn’t get three points today I believe we can beat anybody at home, and we are still only a point off the play-offs.”

Next Saturday Byfield hopes to help the Saddlers return to winning ways when they travel to meet another of his old clubs, Millwall, for whom he scored a career-best 16 goals in one season.

Meanwhile, manager Hutchings plans talks with Manchester City over a possible permanent transfer for centre-back Clayton McDonald who ends his third and final loan spell at Bescot next month.

Of Saturday’s defeat, he said: “It was pretty even for 30 minutes, then a bit of quality from Connolly and Lambert was the difference. We didn’t cope with them as well as we should have done.

“We are still a very young team and a bit naive at times. But you can’t fault the effort and commitment.”