Danny Guthrie turned down 'bigger offers' to stay at Walsall

The midfielder was the last to sign a new deal from the crop of players already at the club from last season, with negotiations rumbling on for a number of weeks.

Now, the 33–year–old has revealed he stayed with the Saddlers due to the relationships he has built there.

"It dragged on a little bit for a couple of weeks just due to the fact that I had other options," he said via the club's channels.

"But my main intention was always to sign a new deal with Walsall.

"I really enjoyed my time here last year. It was a little bit frustrating with injuries, a bit stop start for me and it felt like I missed crucial parts of the season where I could've helped the team.

"I had a great relationship with the lads and the staff here, the manager was great with me.

"Walsall was always pulling me, but I had to sit and listen to everything that was coming in, especially at my age.

"In the end, signing for Walsall, I had no problems in taking a salary cut, I turned down bigger offers just because I built relationships here and felt like (I had) a little bit of unfinished business."

Meanwhile, Guthrie insists manager Darrell Clarke did not have to convince him to stay in the Black Country.

"He didn't really have to say much," he added. "I knew what I was getting here and the gaffer is a really honest person, he helped me a lot last year in terms of when I needed to have a rest or structured my training around my age (with) the games coming thick and fast.

"He was really good to me that way. He looked after me on and off the pitch, so it wasn't a really hard decision, I just wanted to take everything in and take a couple weeks and we got there in the end.

"So to be honest, the gaffer didn't have to say a lot. I knew what was coming if I re-signed and I'm really excited to get going again and give it a push this year."