LEE Holmes today hailed the 'superb' team spirit at exists here at the Banks's Stadium and paid tribute to the players around him for transforming a season which started so poorly.

Six weeks into the campaign, The Saddlers were rock-bottom of League One, having won just one of nine League and Cup games.

However, we embarked on a startling revival that embedded us in the top half of the table. And though Holmes, on loan from Derby County, has only been around since mid-January, he quickly pin-pointed the vibrant spirit esseential to such a recovery. "Paul Boertien is a good friend of mine and I spoke to him a lot before I came so I know how the season has gone," said Holmes. "It was a massive transformation.

"They hardly picked up a point in the first few games then suddenly went on this amazing run where nothing could go wrong.

"Hopefully we can put another run like that together now, but as soon as I came in I could see how it happened. There are good players here and the team-spirit is superb. That made it really easy to settle in.

"The banter flies every morning. The dressing room is full of good characters. There is no-one you would say is a 'bad egg'. Everyone seems to gel and that is big factor why they have done so well on the pitch."

That positive vibe has been a big help to Holmes in his mission to reboot his carer after a bad ankle injury left him on the periphery at Pride Park.

The 20 year-old has showed sparkling form on the left wing and is showing the ability that made him the youngest-ever Derby first-team player, at 15 years, 268 days when he went on as sub - replacing Paul Boertien - against Grimsby Town on Boxing Day 2002. "I have been pleased with my form," he went on. "It took me a couple of games to settle in but I feel I am getting towards where I want to be.

"There are still a lot of things to improve on but hopefully I can get better towards the end of the season when the crunch comes.

"I have been around first-team squad for about five years, which is a long time for a 20 year-old and I am very lucky in that respect."

Having bagged a brace in our 3-0 victory at Swindon Town last weekend, Holmes will be looking to build on that when we travel to Luton Town on Saturday (kick-off 3.00pm).