Owen leaves by ‘mutual consent’
Experienced defender Gareth Owen has left Port Vale FC by ‘mutual consent’ according to a report in the Sentinel newspaper.
Owen has struggled to break into the first-team this season but has played a key role on and off the pitch since joining the Vale.
Owen was initially signed on loan from Stockport in 2008 before the move was made permanent in January 2009l
He was named joint OVF player of the season in 2010. However, he was set to leave the club in the summer of 2011 after agreeing a two-year deal with rivals Crewe Alex. However, when Micky Adams returned to the club, Owen agreed to sign a deal with the Valiants in a new player-coach role.
Off the field, Owen represented the club as the players’ PFA representative and as the club’s “Kick it Out” ambassador. In his PFA role, Owen helped to negotiate contracts for the squad with the club’s administrators when Keith Ryder’s proposed takeover broke down.
Owen’s Vale career
Games: 124+5
Goals: 2