Smith to be Walsall's head of youth
Former Walsall captain Dean Smith has been appointed as the Saddlers' new head of youth.
The Express & Star can confirm Smith will replace Mick Halsall, who left for Wolves earlier this month.
The 38-year-old, a former assistant manager at Leyton Orient, beat off competition from former Albion midfielder Bernard McNally and ex-Walsall favourite Wayne Evans to land the job.
As a player, he made his name as a no-nonsense centre-half was a team-mate of current Saddlers boss Chris Hutchings in 1990/91.
West Bromwich-born Smith skippered the club as a teenager and played 165 games, scoring two goals.
In June 1994, he was sold to Hereford for £80,000 and later also played for Leyton Orient, Port Vale and Sheffield Wednesday.
He retired in 2005 and became youth team coach at Orient, before being promoted to assistant under former boss Martin Ling, leaving Brisbane Road in January when Ling was sacked.
Smith is charged by following Halsall, Wolves' new academy assistant manager, who left a legacy in 10 years at the Banks's Stadium.
His predecessor nurtured the likes Matty Fryatt through to the first team and 12 of the current squad are former trainees.
