Ishmel sacking 'sad day' - Mullen

Walsall manager Jimmy Mullen has expressed his sadness at having to end the Banks's Stadium career of Ishmel Demontagnac for "serious breaches of club discipline."

The Saddlers have terminated the 21-year-old's contract, after he was arrested by police early on Sunday morning, just hours after his Walsall career hit a new low when he was sent off after just eight minutes on the field against Scunthorpe.

Mullen called it a "sad day" after the club had earlier formally issued a statement confirming Demontagnac had been sacked.

The manager said: "In no way is this anything to do with his on-field discipline.

"This is the culmination of three years of ill-discipline and what happened at the weekend was the final straw.

"It's not a nice situation to find yourself in as a manager but this has been the result of a series of serious breaches of club discipline.

"With what happened at the weekend, the club and myself discussed the situation with the whole staff and it was quite obvious that enough was enough."

Demontagnac arrived at the Banks's Stadium as a talented teenager around five years ago after being released by Charlton, where he had begun his footballing education.

After just over a year in the Saddlers youth team his talents earned him a professional contract at the age of 17.

He was handed a shock debut by then-manager Paul Merson at Port Vale. His pace and skills made him an immediate hit with Saddlers supporters.

But his volatile temper and problems with discipline on the field prevented him from ever cementing a first-team place, his hat-trick as a substitute against Southend earlier this season the last high point.