Walsall have announced that they have signed Gillingham club captain Paul Smith on a two year contract, as had been ruomured on the message board for some days.

The tough tackling defensive midfielder had been a reported target for Championship sides as well as Swindon Town, but has opted to move to the Saddlers.

Smith is 33 (34 in September) and has played almost 400 games for the Gills, who acquired him from Brentford, for whom he made the best part of 200 appearances.

Quite where this leaves the current midfield resources at the club is hard to say, as we now have, as central midfielders, Kinsella, Osborn, Smith, Wrack, Kris Taylor, Merson, Broad and Standing, as well as youngsters like Bradley. One thing seems certain is that Merson’s own playing career may be coming to an end.