Sean O'Driscoll: Walsall name new head coach to replace Dean Smith

League One side Walsall have appointed former Liverpool assistant manager Sean O'Driscoll as their new head coach.

The 58-year-old former Bournemouth, Doncaster Rovers, Crawley Town, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City manager has signed an 18-month deal.

He replaces Dean Smith, who left Walsall to join Brentford in November.

"There is an exciting project here and I'm relishing the opportunity to play my part in seeing that project through," he told the club website. 

Since Smith's departure on 30 November, Walsall have spent three matches under the joint caretaker management team of physio Jon Whitney, goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler and vastly experienced John Ward.

O'Driscoll was appointed assistant manager at Liverpool by Brendan Rodgers in the summer but left Anfield in October after Rodgers was sacked.

O'Driscoll on his new club

"The culture of the club was the main attraction more than anything else and what everybody at the football club have tried to build in the last few years.

"I said to the chairman and the board of directors that in football it's very rare that you get to contribute towards developing a culture and philosophy.

"I've watched Walsall in the last two or three seasons and I've been entertained every time."

Saddlers chairman on O'Driscoll's appointment

Walsall chairman Jeff Bonser said he believed O'Driscoll would continue the club's philosophy of producing young players and playing attractive football.

"Sean ticks all the boxes in terms of the identity, blueprint and ethos that we work towards.

"We believe in his ability to advance the football club, enhance our growing reputation as a progressive, forward-thinking organisation and we look forward to working closely with him, in what we hope will be an exciting new chapter at the club."

O'Driscoll's career

As a player, Wolverhampton-born O'Driscoll played for two league clubs, Fulham and Bournemouth, where he made a then club-record 423 league appearances before joining the coaching staff at Dean Court.

He took over as Bournemouth manager from Mel Machin in August 2000, leading them to promotion in the Third Division play-offs in May 2003.

After joining Doncaster in 2006, O'Driscoll led Rovers into the Championship two years later after beating Leeds 1-0 in the League One play-off final.

A short spell at Crawley followed before O'Driscoll left to take over at Nottingham Forest. He was sacked after just five months following a 4-2 win over Leeds with the club a point off the Championship top six.

His last managerial job was at Bristol City, but he was unable to save them from relegation to League One and lasted just 10 months before being replaced by Steve Cotterill.

He was appointed England Under-19s coach in September 2014, a job he did for nine months before becoming assistant manager to Rodgers at Liverpool this summer.