Walsall Football Club have completed the signing of defender Jack Fitzwater from West Bromwich Albion on loan for the rest of the season.
Fitzwater, who was the Baggies’ U23s captain in Premier League 2 last season, spent the first half of the season on loan at League Two side Forest Green Rovers, where he scored once in 19 appearances.
Eighteen of those games were starts and Fitzwater becomes our fourth January window signing, and our third loan player following the capture of Justin Shaibu from Brentford on Monday and Krystian Bielik from Arsenal this evening.
The 20-year-old bolsters manager Jon Whitney’s defensive options for the remainder of the season.
“I watched him play against Aston Villa in the match at the Banks’s last week and I saw him again at St George’s Park on Saturday against Ipswich Town,” said Whitney.
“He’s a right-sided centre-half and I really like his attitude.
“He’s someone that West Brom have really high hopes for - I spoke with their staff and he’s one they really like.
“You can see he’s got that in the way he plays, and he’s coming in to try to force his way into the starting line-up with us.
“He’s gone out and got some really good experience at Forest Green this season.
"This continues the club's good relationship with West Brom and we hope that continues into the future."
Fitzwater, who has previously been on loan at Chesterfield, played 90 minutes for The Baggies in a 2016 pre-season friendly against French champions Paris St Germain.
He will wear squad number 23 in his spell at the Banks’s Stadium.