WALSALL top-scorer Isaac Hutchinson is hoping that reaching double figures for both goals and assists this season can help him make a big stride towards “complete midfielder” status.
The 23-year-old Saddler had netted 13 times in all competitions ahead of yesterday’s home clash with Doncaster.
He had also teed up a further nine goals during an eye-catching 2023-24 campaign and does not want to stop there.
“If you can get double figures for both, I wouldn’t say you’re a complete midfielder because there are lots of other roles I have within the team as well, but you’d be getting pretty close, because not too many do that in a season,” he told The FLP. “So, I’m striving for that and, if I do it, I’ll be buzzing.
“The only target I set at the start of the season was double figures for goals because I think, if you do that as amidfielder, you’re adding a lot to the team. But, I also know we’ve got a lot of strikers that will finish chances if we create them, so I just want to keep chipping in with both.”
Leadership
Hutchinson believes he has been making up for lost time since his West Midlands switch in the summer of 2022.
After moving to Derby having featured prominently as a teenager for Southend, he was limited to just one league outing in two seasons for the Rams.
During that time, he was loaned to Forest Green and Crawley but he has really racked up the appearances with Walsall, featuring in every league game this season before this weekend and all but two last term.
He made his 100th EFL start in last weekend’s 2-0 triumph at Harrogate and manager Mat Sadler is now recognising leadership potential in Hutchinson, who has taken on penalty-taking duties since the turn of the year, converting all of his first three spot-kicks.
“It felt like I lost a season’s worth of appearances at Derby playing for the Under-23s when I wasn’t out on loan,” Hutchinson confessed. “But Michael Flynn last season and the gaffer now have put so much trust in me and I thank them for that.
“The gaffer wants
