Kjell Knops thanks fans as he leaves Port Vale
Defender Kjell Knops has praised Port Vale fans after leaving the club to return to his native Holland.
Knops was invited to remain with the squad for pre-season training despite being released in the summer but he has returned home for personal reasons.
I enjoyed every minute at Port Vale. The support from the fans was great especially during the season I was injured…
The defender told the Sentinel: “I thought everything over and realised that I wanted to be closer to my family.
“My mum has been diagnosed with cancer, she had surgery five weeks ago, hopefully everything is going to be fine but that is also a reason why I want to be closer to my family.
“So it will be better to be in Holland and find a club here.
“But it was not an easy decision because I enjoyed every minute at Port Vale. The support from the fans was great especially during the season I was injured. They have sent me a lot of messages and good wishes and I want to thank them.”
Knops joined the club in the summer of 2016 on a two-year contract. He was one of the few successful Bruno Ribeiro signings often filling in as a left-back. However, he suffered a serious knee injury in March 2017 which was serious enough to see him miss the whole of his second season with the club. In total, he made 32 appearances for the club.
Ken Grocott
28th June 2018 @ 11:19 pm
Good luck Kjell and sorry to hear about your Mum. It makes absolute sense for you to be with your family. I wish you every success with your career back home. Thanks for everything you did with the Vale.
Karen
5th July 2018 @ 12:44 pm
Good luck in the future Kjell and thanks for your time and effort at Port Vale. Hope all goes well for you back at home. Take care and thanks again.