Mat Sadler: Mo Faal reminds me of Premier League star
Mat Sadler says Mo Faal’s “raw ability” reminds him of ex-Walsall forward Elijah Adebayo.
Adebayo, who has scored nine goals in 23 appearances during his debut campaign in the Premier League for Luton Town – which has been interrupted by injury, spent one-and-a-half seasons at Walsall before joining the Hatters in 2021.
He said: “Mo was right on top of his game at times. There was a moment in the first half when I thought, this kid’s got something that you don’t tend to see very often.
“There’s a lot that reminds me of Eli (Adebayo) and he probably reminds Walsall fans of him because he’s so unusual to play against but he has got so much raw ability.
“He probably doesn’t quite believe how good he is and I was delighted to see him score.”
Faal, who has scored five goals since joining on loan from Albion, was only too happy to accept the comparison.
“It’s a massive compliment because he is someone that is a lot like me in terms of profile and also physically,” Faal responded.
“He’s playing in the Premier League and scored a hat-trick this season. That’s what I aspire to be like so I am delighted to hear that.”
Faal has showcased his knack of arriving in the right positions at the right time, although missed opportunities have sometimes been a theme of frustration.
The 21-year-old believes his loan at Walsall has helped him to manage his confidence in front of goal and offered an interesting analogy of thinking like a “goldfish” whenever he misses a chance.
“Any striker will tell you that you’re more worried if you’re not getting the chances than getting them and missing them,” the striker explained,
“I am still learning my trade and I am not the finished article. As long as I can keep getting in the right areas then I will start scoring more goals.
“One might turn into two and two might turn into three then I’ll be a happy man.
“You have to have the mind of a goldfish. Just forget about it because another chance is going to come.
“It came four or five minutes after my first miss and I just had to make sure I am level-headed to take it. That’s the biggest thing that I feel I’ve learned at Walsall.”
