Walsall manager Dean Smith has today discussed Saddlers' captain Andy Butler's contract situation, and has reiterated his desire for the Yorkshire-based defender to remain at the club...Speaking to the Express & Star, Smith said; “Andy Butler’s situation won’t drag on. I know that for a fact. I know the sort of lad that Andy is and he will be honest one way or another.
“We all hope that he stays and he knows that. He’s been pivotal in my teams throughout my tenure here and hopefully that can continue.
“Hopefully he will choose to stay and if he does we know that the base that we’ve got in our team – with him, Paul Downing, Sam Mantom, Adam Chambers, Romaine Sawyers and a lot of young players who are coming through – is strong in this league.
“It will be a tough decision for him either way. I believe he would like to stay but he’s got to weigh up his options and that will be nothing to do with the ambitions of the football club because he knows how ambitious we are and how we want to finish in the play-offs at least.
“It will be based, I think, on location. Whether he’s ok to still do that (travel down from Yorkshire) and obviously if better offers come along then financial ones as well.”