Flo Cuvelier..That Boy Is Special

On 27th January 2012 Walsall signed a young Belgian from near neighbours Stoke City.

Given our past record with loan signings, many were cynical to see another young player join on loan when experience was needed…However fast-forward one year and the young Belgian, Flo Cuvelier became a fans favourite at Walsall FC

Flo made his professional debut for Walsall on 31st January 2012. He was a 2nd half substitute against Notts County, which we lost 1-0.

He scored his first professional goal against Oldham Athletic in a 2-1 defeat at Boundary Park at the end of January 2012.

After impressing Dean Smith in the inital first month, we extended Flo’s loan until the end of the 2011-12 season. In the 18 matches he played for us, he scored four crucial goals to ensure our League 1 safety.

Partly because of his great form with us, Stoke offered him a new two year contract in May….Most Walsall fans expected Flo to sign on loan for a Championship club in the close season but somehow we managed to persuade the magician back in July on a 6 month loan deal.

Again this season Flo has been monumental in all the good that has happened at Walsall. He scored 2 goals in 15 games this term not to mention his assists!

His first goal this season came against his old club Portsmouth on the 15th September, we won 2-1. Then he followed up with his thunderbolt against Crewe in October.

During Saturday’s game with Stevenage, Flo aggravated his hamstring that will see him sidelined for the remainder of his loan deal…such a sad ending to his second loan spell with us.

Will he return? Who knows but one thing is for certain, at a time when morale was low at the Saddlers, this little magician managed to raise spirits and inject some much needed quality into our squad.

Many have said that we aren’t the same team when Flo isn’t playing, results prove this. It’s just a shame that it ended prematurely.

From everyone at Vital Walsall we want to wish Flo a full and speedy recovery and if he doesn’t return back to The Banks’s as a Walsall player we would like to thank him for all he has done and wish him the best of luck for the future with both Stoke and Belgium.