Saddlers Express and Star reported they’ve been taking a look through their archives to bring memories of glorious days and great sportsmen and women to grace the Midlands scene.
With several players on international duty this weekend, Joseph Masi recalls the Bermudian striker who was a real hit with fans of the Saddlers in the 90s - and still plays a part today.
Walsall were forced to postpone their League One clash with Sheffield United over the weekend after a host of players jetted off to exotic locations on international duty.
Andreas Makris was called up by Cyprus for a World Cup qualifying double header against Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Maz Kouhyrar was named in the Afghanistan squad for the very first time as they travelled to take on Malaysia, while Simeon Jackson was part of the Canada set-up for friendlies arranged against Mauritania and Morocco.
But while Walsall fans will be keeping their fingers crossed they all return free from injury, there is another Walsall favourite still doing his bit for the club while sat in more sunny surroundings.
Bermudian international Kyle Lightbourne became an instant hit at the Banks’s Stadium following his arrival from Scarborough in 1993.
The tall and rangy striker immediately struck up a partnership with Kevin Wilson with his sharp finishing and blistering pace earning him the nickname Killer Kyle by the Walsall faithful.
Lightbourne, who was also known for his work-rate, top scored in his first season with the club.
But it is the 1994/95 campaign for which he is best remembered as Walsall clinched promotion by finishing second in the old Division Three.
His telepathic understanding with Wilson led to the striker netting 27 goals, with Lightbourne top scoring again over the next two years as Walsall cemented their place in Division Two.
In the summer of 1997 though, he was transferred to Premier League Coventry for a fee of £475,000 having netted 86 goals in 190 appearances for Walsall.
But his career at Highfield Road lasted only seven months, with the striker making just 10 first-team appearances, six of which came as a substitute.
Lightbourne faced stiff competition in the form of Dion Dublin, Noel Whelan and Darren Huckerby. And he was quickly sold to Stoke, where he scored 25 goals in 130 games.
Stints at Swindon, Cardiff and Hull followed before the striker hung up his boots to take charge of Bermuda’s National team.
Currently the manager of Robin Hood in Bermuda, Lightbourne still has Walsall at heart.
And last season he contacted the club to let them know about a talented teenager he spotted playing on the island.
That man was Kacy Milan Butterfield, with Walsall inviting the youngster over for a trial and promptly signing him in the summer.
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