Wrexham success was the key for Dean Keates' Walsall return

The 39-year-old won three promotions and made more than 200 appearances in two separate spells as a Saddlers player.

Now he is the man in the Banks’s hot-seat after he put pen to paper on a three-year-deal to replace the sacked Jon Whitney as boss.

Keates was enticed back to his home town club following a successful spell in charge of Wrexham.

After replacing the sacked Gary Mills last season, he transformed a struggling side into one that is now competing for promotion.

And Gamble said that is what stood out for the Saddlers board.

“Of course Dean coming back will strike a chord with supporters,” the chief executive said.

“Dean was idolised as a player. He is Walsall through and through.

“But it was only an added benefit. What he did at Wrexham really opened our eyes to what might be possible at Walsall.

“Obviously having an affiliation with the club is important. He can come in and hit the ground running because he knows the club and how it works.

“But the key driver to this appointment was what Dean has done in management. It was about what Dean can bring to the football club as a man and as a manager.”

Club secretary and director Dan Mole revealed Walsall’s board made a unanimous decision to move for Keates once Whitney had been sacked.

“We sat as a board to identify targets and talk about how we wanted to move forward,” he said.

“Dean was the name on everybody’s lips. It was a unanimous decision to pursue him. He was our primary target. We were able to get him. And we are really grateful to Wrexham.We have been on the other side of this coin. We have lost managers. We lost Dean Smith to Brentford.

“That’s really difficult when you are trying to achieve something. You feel like someone is pulling the rug from underneath you.

“There will be a little bit of that sentiment felt at Wrexham because of the job Dean did.

“But ultimately you have to think about your football club first and foremost.

“Dean was the man we wanted. Dean was the man the fans wanted and we are just grateful we have been able to deliver on this occasion.”