{"id":557223,"date":"2020-07-08T09:38:13","date_gmt":"2020-07-08T13:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=557223"},"modified":"2020-12-28T11:27:25","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T16:27:25","slug":"tom-leak-signs-new-contract-with-walsall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/07\/08\/tom-leak-signs-new-contract-with-walsall\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Leak Signs New Contract With Walsall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Leak has signed a new contract with Walsall<\/a>. The 19-year-old defender returned from a loan spell with non-league side\u00a0Salisbury last season.<\/p>\n

Tom Leak Signs New Deal at Walsall<\/h2>\n

Planning for the Future<\/h3>\n

Leak signed a short-term professional deal with Walsall in May 2019 but is yet to make a senior appearance for the club.<\/p>\n

The central defender represented Walsall at youth level since joining the Saddler’s in 2015. He won the U16 player of the year award in the 2016\/17 season and played 28 games for the U18s in the 2018\/19 campaign.<\/p>\n

Leak joined Salisbury for his first loan spell in October 2019 and returned to the club in January 2020 for a second spell.<\/p>\n

He is the latest youngster to sign a new deal with the Saddlers, following Sam Perry and Joe Willis.<\/p>\n

‘Delighted’ Leak<\/h3>\n

Speaking to the Saddler’s official website about his new deal, Leak explained how he is now ready to make the step up to the first team following his loan spell and after spending years in the academy.<\/p>\n

Leak said<\/a>: “I\u2019m delighted to have signed, to be honest with you.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the current situation that we are in, I am delighted to have got things sorted and to have got it done.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was massive for me to go out on loan last season and I think it is what I needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was stepping up into a men’s environment for the first time and challenging myself at that level.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I did well with it to be fair and I have gained valuable experience from going out on loan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn first-team football, it means absolutely everything to get the three points on a Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe intensity isn\u2019t quite there when you\u2019re with the under 18s and 23s but when you make the step up, you realise just how much it means to get the three points on the board and it made me realise that people need the three points to feed their kids and they can only do that by winning games.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully I can get in and around the first team, which is my main aim. I want to really push on this season and keep developing and hopefully, I can make my debut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leak Deserves Contract<\/h3>\n

Development manager at Walsall, Brian Dutton, coached Leak in the youth squads at Walsall. Also speaking to the club’s official site, he said:<\/a> \u201cTom has earned his contract through his unrelenting work ethic and application.”<\/p>\n

\u201cHe cut his teeth with men\u2019s first-team football last season with his loan at Salisbury where he thrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a player we believe is for the future but we may need to call on him sooner rather than later if he can continue his excellent development.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a>