Bruno Ribeiro hints that JJ Hooper could still play for Port Vale this season
Port Vale manager Bruno Ribeiro says that if forward JJ Hooper “was here right now he might be playing” and that he could remain at the club from January onwards.
Hooper made a surprise exit on loan earlier in the season. The forward had enjoyed a strong finish to the preceding season and many fans thought he would push on at Vale. However, the striker instead moved to Rob Page’s Northampton Town who were Vale’s opponents on Saturday.
He finishes his loan on January 7 and after that he can play for us because we need strikers…
Hooper has mainly been employed wide by Page and is currently sidelined with an injury. Asked to comment on the forward by the media Ribeiro said: “He’s a Port Vale player. If he was here now he might be playing because we have injuries and don’t have strikers and he’s a good player.
“We’ll see. He’s been injured for the last two weeks so he’s back here at the moment and when he starts training with us we’ll see.
“He finishes his loan on January 7 and after that he can play for us because we need strikers.”