Lee Grant says visions are aligned after landing Walsall head coach role | OneFootball

Lee Grant says his vision matches Walsall’s after being appointed head coach, and he will target an end to their eight-year wait for League One promotion.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the 43-year-old has signed a three-year deal to succeed Mat Sadler ahead of the 2026/27 season.

He said talks had run for a fortnight and that agreement on a shared plan with the club’s hierarchy was key, adding that he was proud to take the job.

Grant was dismissed by Huddersfield in January after 36 matches, recording 15 wins, eight draws and 13 defeats. He previously enjoyed a 22-year goalkeeping career with Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley, Stoke City and Manchester United.

He has worked under Jose Mourinho, Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche, and spent three seasons as Kieran McKenna’s first-team coach at Ipswich Town, who rose from League One to the Premier League in successive years. He is keen to draw on those experiences at Bescot.

A major rebuild awaits after Walsall released 12 players last week. They were top at Christmas in each of the past two seasons, reached the League Two play-off final in 2025, then slipped to 13th last season.

Grant expects a busy period and says he is eager to get started and help the club progress after a difficult campaign that also featured interim head coach Darren Byfield.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com