Dean Saunders has thanked the Crawley Town board for turning down an offer for Joe Walsh in the closing hours of the January transfer window.

The Reds boss yesterday revealed the club rejected what they considered a derisory bid for their skipper before the window shut on Monday evening.

Saunders has described the move from an unidentified club as ‘chancing their arm’ and is delighted the club refused to cash in on their most valuable asset.

Walsh will lead Crawley out at fellow strugglers Yeovil Town today as they look to make it back-to-back wins in their fight for League One survival.

Interim boss Saunders said: “Joe Walsh didn’t go in the transfer deadline and that is a boost to all of us. Well done to the board for keeping hold of him.

“We never got a serious offer. We had a few enquiries but not a series offer of what we think he is worth.

“An offer was made but it wasn’t what we valued him at, nowhere near. It was a case of people trying to steal him off us.

“It was the last few hours of the window and I had no time to replace him if he did go. Anyway, it was just a chuck-away offer, just chancing their arm.”

Fellow centre-back Dean Leacock is not fit to return from a groin injury at Yeovil but could be back in contention to face Doncaster at the Checkatrade.com Stadium on Tuesday.

New signing Mathias Pogba will make his debut at Yeovil as long as international clearance comes through in time.