Walsall goalkeeper Liam Roberts, who is set to battle it out with new recruit Mark Gillespie, has spoken to the local press and discussed his belief that his recent loan spells with the likes of Grestley and Chester, along with his brief time as a free agent following his release in 2014, has helped him to mentally prepare for first-team football.
Liam, who recently penned a new one-year contract following a successful loan with Chester, was speaking via the Express & Star, and said; "It's been quite the road but it's taught me you have to keep pushing on. It's given me mental strength. The club have always shown a lot of faith in me. They gave me another chance, sent me out on loan and now I'm back I want to be pushing for the first team.
"Going out on loan was about playing men’s football. That was what I needed to toughen up. As a young kid, perhaps a couple of years ago, I wasn’t quite there mentally. I was inconsistent in my training and games. Now I feel mentally stronger and believe I am consistently doing the right things. I hope that will show on the pitch."