Ex-Birmingham City & Aston Villa player in frame for EFL manager’s job | OneFootball

The Saddlers are on the lookout for Mat Sadler's replacement in the dugout

Walsall have endured yet another frustrating start to the new calendar year in the League Two season, and it is one that, this time, cost Mat Sadler his job at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium.

The Saddlers have harboured ambitions of returning to League One for the first time since 2019 under the ownership of American investment firm, Trivela, who took over the club in June 2022.

Former Reds defender, Sadler, was initially appointed as interim head coach in the final weeks of the 2022/23 season but then landed the job permanently.

Despite winning 71 and losing 55 of his 161 matches in the dugout, his position became untenable after a 1-0 away defeat to Salford City on Tuesday night - a result which has seen the Saddlers win just two of their previous 14 matches, slipping from first in League Two to 11th.

Such feats come after Walsall blew a 12-point advantage at the fourth tier summit last term before missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season at the expense of Bradford City, before failing to redeem themselves in the play-offs as they lost the final to AFC Wimbledon at Wembley Stadium.

With the West Midlands side currently three points outside the top seven with 10 matches of the season still to play, attention has turned to who will replace the 41-year-old at the Bescot in the long-term, with Darren Byfield and Terry Connor overseeing first-team duties ahead of Saturday's trip to Crewe Alexandra.

And, it appears as though a familiar face to some clubs in this part of the world has emerged within the managerial frame.

Ex-Birmingham City, Aston Villa and West Brom defender Liam Ridgewell emerges as potential Walsall managerial candidate

That's because, according to an update from Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider via X, which emerged on Thursday evening, the Saddlers are eyeing a potential managerial move for Liam Ridgewell.

As previously mentioned, Ridgewell is no stranger to football in the West Midlands, having spent some of the most notable periods of his career with the likes of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion.

Indeed, the 41-year-old rounded off his youth career at Villa Park before going on to make 93 senior appearances for the club between 2002 and 2007, before moving across the Second City to St. Andrew's.

The Bexleyheath native was then part of the Blues squad which famously won the EFL Cup final against Arsenal 15 years ago, before also making 78 appearances for the Baggies between 2012 and 2014.

Despite having further spells in the English game with sides such as Wigan Athletic and Hull City, Ridgewell also spent four years with MLS side, Portland Timbers.

He is currently working alongside ex-Manchester United, Everton and England full-back, Phil Neville at Providence Park as assistant manager, with the Timbers' league season currently three games old, as they sit 13th in the Western Conference after one win and two defeats thus far.

As such, a potential return to the Midlands would represent a first full-time managerial role for Ridgewell, whose only other coaching experience came with Dover Athletic.

Walsall FC supporters may be unsure over potential Liam Ridgewell appointment

At present, it remains to be seen who will take the reins as Saddlers boss, with no standout candidate emerging as things stand.

Despite being well-known as a solid ex-Premier League and Championship defender, Walsall supporters may be unsure as to whether Ridgewell is the man needed for the job at this moment in time due to his inexperience in comparison to other potential candidates.

There is still a chance for the club to turn around their recent woes and reach the play-offs for a second successive season, though, meaning Trivela must nail the next appointment before pressure from the already restless natives continues to pile on.