Isaiah Osbourne is fit to fire Walsall up the table

The 29-year-old, who joined the Saddlers in September 2015, missed the whole of last season after picking up a severe knee injury.

Osbourne returned to fitness in time for the current campaign but has been used fleetingly by boss Jon Whitney.

But after netting his first goal in three years during the 1-1 draw with Bradford, the former Villa youngster says he is now ready to hold down a regular starting spot.

"I had the knee injury last year – I got over it in the summer but the gaffer wanted to work me back into the team gradually," Osbourne said.

"I haven't had any problems with the knee this season. I feel fine now, I'm over it and I'm good to go. I believe the problems are now firmly in the past.

"When you have a serious injury, it can take time to get right mentally even once the injury has healed. You fear it happening again. That can take a month, two months, it might take some players a year.

"But I'm fully over my injury now. I've played two games in a week against Oldham and Bradford and now I'm looking forward to Port Vale on Boxing Day."

Walsall entered the Bradford game having fallen to back-to-back defeats to Fleetwood and Oldham in their previous outings.

But Osbourne felt the team responded in the right way with their performance on Saturday.

"Before the game the gaffer said we had to make sure we were hard to beat," the midfielder continued.

"I thought we did that.

"The lads put in a real shift and I was disappointed we didn't go on to get the win.

"The results before were disappointing. But that is football. You have to shake it off and go again."

After more than three years without a goal, Osbourne admitted it was great to get back on the score sheet.

"It felt brilliant," he added.

"To be honest I don't score many and it was a good goal.

"I haven't been in the team for a while so hopefully that marks the end of a frustrating time."