Walsall Football Club

• Nickname:Saddlers
• Founded:1888
• Manager:Dean Smith

• Ground:Bescot Stadium
• Capacity:10700

O'Keefe becomes a Saddler

14 Jul 2009 - 12:01:26

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Walsall have swooped to sign young midfielder Josh O'Keefe after his release from Blackburn Rovers.

The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a one-year contract at the Banks' Stadium as manager Chris Hutchings' squad begins to take shape.

O'Keefe has been a prominent figure in the Premier League side's reserve team in recent years, but has failed to make an impact on Sam Allardyce's first team.

After failing to win a contract at Derby County after a trial at Pride Park, O'Keefe became a free agent earlier this summer.

"Josh is a player that we've been monitoring for some time," Hutchings told the club's official website.

"He's a young lad who wants to push on and test his ability at the next level. This is a chance for him to develop and go on to bigger and better things on the first-team stage.

"He's a box-to-box type player who's capable of scoring goals from midfield and is an exciting addition to the squad."