WFC Development Squad

Full name	Walsall Development Squad
Nickname(s)	The Saddlers
Ground	Ray Hall Lane, Birmingham Bescot Stadium, Walsall
Chairman	Leigh Pomlett
Manager	Dev. Squad: Miguel Llera Academy: Kyle Kirby
League	Dev. Squad: Central League NW Academy: Youth Alliance NW
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Walsall Football Club in England are represented at Reserve and Youth team level by the Walsall Development Squad and Walsall Academy. The Development Squad currently compete in the Central League North-West Division and the academy team compete in the Youth Alliance North-West Division.

Both teams play the majority of their home games at the Birmingham County FA Headquarters at Ray Hall Lane in Perry Barr, although some games are played at the senior side's Bescot Stadium home.

The Development Squad is currently managed by Miguel Llera and the academy side by Kyle Kirby. The make up of both sides is usually very similar, with Walsall's Academy side joining more experienced first team players on the fringes of the EFL League Two matchday squad and those who are returning from injury, in the majority of Development Squad fixtures.

Walsall Development Squad also compete in the Birmingham Senior Cup and Walsall Senior Cup, winning each competition on a number of occasions.

Players

Current squad

As of 1 July 2021.^[1][2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ENG Zac Hedge 31 GK  ENG Tommy Jackson — GK  ENG Lewis Walker — DF  ENG Noel Angafor — DF  ENG Dan Baldwin 30 DF  ENG Danny Coogan 29 DF  ENG Joe Foulkes — DF  ENG Rio Sawyers — DF  ENG Josh Simcox

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ENG Antonio Christofaro — MF  ENG Saif Mukadam — MF  ENG Joe Perry — MF  ENG Jack Shaw — MF  ENG Arjun Toor 32 MF  ENG Shay Willock — FW  ENG Callum Derry — FW  ENG Kymani Hunter — FW  ENG Marvellous Onabirekhanlen

Notable academy graduates

Walsall's Youth Academy has produced a number of first team players throughout the club's history. In recent years, notable graduates to go on to play in higher divisions include Matty Fryatt, Julian Bennett, Scott Dann, Jamie Paterson, Will Grigg and Troy Deeney.

Two graduates have gone on to play full international football for England: Allan Clarke and Michael Ricketts. Clarke had a hugely successful career, scoring a winning goal in an FA Cup final while at Leeds United.