Liam Roberts is pushing to stay Walsall's No.1
Walsall goalkeeper Liam Roberts says the pressure of keeping his number one spot is driving him on as the team looks to climb the League Two table.
The 25-year-old shot stopper has been Darrell Clarke’s first choice goalkeeper for most of the season in a tough campaign for the Saddlers.
Jack Rose, on loan from Southampton, has been pushing Roberts for a place in the starting XI and Roberts says the competition between the pair, alongside the help of their goalkeeping coach Maik Taylor, is helping to bring the best out of them.
“You can never rest on your laurels,” he said. “You’ve got to keep pushing and keep working hard.
“Not saying that I would, but if you get a little bit too comfy, complacency creeps in.
“So personally you need to keep working hard and push one another, then we’re both flying in training.
“Maik’s really professional in training day in and day out, working on things that I need to work on all the time.
“He brings a lot of calmness to it as well.
“He’s got a lot of international experience, a lot of experience in the Premier League and he’s a giant coming for crosses so he’s trying to instil things that he used to work on into me.
“Rose is also working phenomenally well, he came into the team and did well and we’re both pushing each other to get the best that we can for the team.
“We have a great laugh in training, but we take it seriously so there’s a good balance.
“Rose has come from the Premier League, he’s a good guy and we get on really well.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen this season, there might be a time where Rosey comes back in so I have to make sure that when I’m in the team, I do the right things day in, day out.”
The Walsall-born goalkeeper was taken out of the team for a run of games in October and during that time he insists he was always a team player.
“The gaffer pulled me into his office and said I’m taking you out the team,” he added. “Obviously I want to play as many games as I can, but all you have to do is think of the team.
“So this year I’ve tried to be involved around the team so whether I’m involved or not I still have to give 100 per cent.
“If I’m out the team I’ll be encouraging and making sure everyone is doing the right things.”
