Jamie Vincent backing Walsall trio

Departing left-back Jamie Vincent has tipped Walsall's defensive young guns for greatness but insists they must stay focused.

The 35-year-old quit the Saddlers for Aldershot last week, leaving the club with just three senior defenders.

Darryl Westlake, Manny Smith and Clayton McDonald are all under 23 yet could form the cornerstone of the Saddlers' squad – but Vincent has backed them to shine.

He said: "These lads should be going on to play at a higher level. They are still young, still learning and have the right attributes to be great players.

"But they can't have their heads in the clouds, they need to go out on a Saturday and do the basics right, that's what the best players do, they do the basics well.

"That's how they'll get a move. If they have a good season they will get interest from bigger sides.

"But the most important thing is to concentrate on Walsall."

Vincent was impressed with how the trio developed last season, as the League One Saddlers netted their highest finish in six years.

He said: "Last year was their first full season. 'Westy' came in and did well, Clayton put in some good performances and Manny was probably one of our best players at the start of the season but then got injured.

"If he had been fit then he probably would have won Player of the Season but injury scuppered him.

"They certainly matured throughout the season and that's a big reason why we finished 10th."

Vincent, who had agreed a new deal and was last season's Players' Player of the Year, left the Banks's Stadium for personal reasons on Friday after finding it hard being away from his family, who stayed in Sandhurst.

He said: "Sometimes you have one eye on them when you are trying to concentrate on the club and being away from them for five days a week was quite tough.

"I can't say a bad word about the club and if I was younger it wouldn't have been a problem."