Clarke Warns of Ruthless Streak as He Prepares to Cast an Eye Over Walsall's Prospects

As he and his team continue to prepare for the upcoming League Two campaign, Walsall manager Darrell Clarke has spoken to the local press and insisted that every player will have the chance to impress him over the course of pre-season, with both the youth and first team set to train together over the coming weeks.

The recently-appointed gaffer, who currently has something of a threadbare squad following a host of end-of-season exits, also warned his players that, with only a certain number of spaces up for grabs, they will have to impress him quickly if they want to avoid his ruthless streak.

Mansfield-born Clarke has several promising former scholars at his disposal including left-back Callum Cockerill-Mollett, midfielder Alfie Bates and striker Mitchel Candlin, and is expected to offer them a route to the first-team with football over the short pre-season period before looking at potential loans if they aren't ready for regular football.

Speaking via the Express & Star, Darrell said; "Everybody will be in my plans. We are having the youth team and the first team together for pre-season. It will be a mirrored pre-season.

"Everybody will be at the training ground for the pre-season period and I will be looking and analysing everything. I will be looking at all the players and seeing what’s what, and seeing how we go moving forward.

"Everyone will have a fair opportunity to impress, and they have to impress because I am pretty ruthless if needed."