Vale midfielder earns International call
Port Vale midfielder Chris Birchall has been recalled to the Trinidad and Tobago International squad for the friendly international with Belize.
Birchall, the club’s record International appearance maker, will make his 23rd Trinidad appearance whilst a Vale player (and his 40th cap in total) if he features in the game.
The former Valiants youth team player rejoined the club at the start of this year but he has been restricted to just 22 minutes of action for the Vale’s first-team.
The match against Belize will take part on March 22nd which means Birchall will be unavailable for Vale’s home game against Aldershot on the following day.
Stoke City striker Kenwyn Jones is also named in the T&T squad for the friendly alongside another British-based player, Middlesbrough’s Justin Hoyte, who has been called up for the first time.
Birchall’s last game for his country was in 2011 but T&T head coach Hutson Charles told the socawarriors.net website that the recall is deserved commenting that: “We all know what Birchall can do and it’s been a while now we are looking for a player of his kind to give us energy again in midfield.”
Birchall the trailblazer
28 year-old Chris Birchall is the club’s most capped player. The midfielder was picked on 22 occasions by Trinidad and Tobago during his first spell with the Valiants. It included games in the World Cup finals making Birchall the only Vale player to appear in a World Cup while contracted to the club.