James O'Connor: I'll always remember Walsall fondly
Former Walsall defender James O'Connor says he will always look back on his time at the club with fondness after he completed a move to Kidderminster.
The 32-year-old turned down offers from teams in League One and League Two to make a surprise move to Aggborough on Monday.
O'Connor joined the Saddlers from Derby in 2014 and enjoyed three successful seasons at the Banks's Stadium.
But he was told by manager Jon Whitney that he didn't feature in his plans for the 2017/18 campaign – with the centre-back then leaving the club after agreeing a mutual termination of his contract.
"The three years I had at Walsall were magnificent," O'Connor said.
"I joined the club at a time when I was really disillusioned.
"I had been out injured for an entire season at Derby.
"I was made available and I had offers on the table from, so-called, bigger clubs.
"But I took the decision to drop out of the Championship and down to League One.
"I did it because I wanted to be at a place where I felt valued and be part of something.
"I got that at Walsall. When I left Doncaster, I honestly thought I’d never get that relationship with a club again.
"Luckily for me I did. I’m sure Walsall is a club I’ll always be able to go back to in future years."
O'Connor said he is particularly grateful for the support he received from Saddlers' fans during his time at the club.
And he also thanked them for the number of kind messages he has received since moving on.
"First of all I want to thank the supporters," O'Connor added.
"There are also some really good people at that club and I wish them all the best for the future.
"But I always felt I had a good relationship with the fans. I felt valued by them and I really appreciated some of the messages I got when I left the club.
"They meant the world to me and my family. They really did."
