Merrington arrived at the Bescot shortly after Lee was given the job as Walsall manager. Lee recently hailed the work Merrington did in those final months of last season, and his input certainly helped us beat the drop.

Therefore, his resignation came as a massive shock to the supporters, and indeed the gaffer. Merrington was someone that the Bescot faithfull had come to admire, and no one could have predicted his departure.

Lee was quick to point out that Merrington had resigned purely for family reasons, as he spoke to the Official Walsall FC Site.

He said: "When Dave Merrington first spoke to me about resigning at the start of the week I was totally surprised.

"Since then we have discussed at great length the decision, made solely by him on the grounds that his personal life was suffering with his prolonged abscence away from home."

Lee had some kind words to say about Merrington. "Dave has been a very good friend to me over many years and working with him has been an extremely enjoyable experience."

He added, however, that he would take his time before picking a new assistant. "Dave Merrington will be a very hard person to replace as there's no-one else like him. It's a very important role and I have to make sure I have the right person for the job."

It is a huge blow to lose Merrington, especially so close to the start of next season. However, family must come first and we wish Dave all the best for the future.