Port Vale looking to add young talent to squad
Port Vale appear confident that their latest batch of young professionals are heading in the right direction.
Earlier this summer, youngster Ryan Campbell-Gordon signed his first professional contract and the club are confident that he and his fellow young professionals have the right qualities and skills to make an impact in the Vale’s first-team squad. The youth and reserves coach Mick Ede has been enthusing about the youngsters as BonusBets.com reports.
Ede was glad that Ryan Campbell-Gordon has signed a new two-year contract with the team and thinks that his youth and exuberance is perfect for the squad, after the eighteen-year-old signed on the dotted line.
Campbell-Gordon was a product of the Port Vale academy and trained under Sevvy Aslam before he debuted for the under-18 team and then also played for the reserves last season. Ede recognises that the left-back deserves a chance in the squad. He said “He has done really well. He was a guy that was at some good pro clubs as a younger kid, and then kind of fell away from it for one reason or another. We had the opportunity to bring him back in and try to work with the talent he has got. He is a modern day full-back, he is an athlete, and he can get up and down the pitch all day long. He is potentially one of those that can move on because he is that kind of player which a lot of teams are looking for – that modern-day kind of full back, the attacking full-backs.”
Vale is also looking to add another couple of players from their youth squad including highly-rated forward Lucas Green-Birch, who could be a versatile asset to the team. They are also looking to pick up midfielder Joe Berks. Green-Birch featured on the bench for the senior team at the end of last season for the final match although he didn’t make it onto the field.
Ede said, “There is still a little bit of talking to do, but they have been offered, pro teams.”
The Port Vale youth squad with be heading to Mansfield and Madrid as part of their preparations for pre-season. In July they are going to Spain to play in an Erasmus programme European competition, where they will play in three fixtures. Followed by that they will play their final pre-season match back in Mansfield.
Ede stressed the importance of playing local sides before the season saying “We want to play local sides. Sometimes we end up sending our younger players on loan, so that is how we keep those contacts. But this time we have been lucky enough to get on the Erasmus trip to Spain. We will be spending two weeks in Madrid and playing three games against Spanish opposition, which will be an unbelievable experience for everybody.”
Robbie Earle pitched in with his say “John Askey still has some signings to make at Port Vale, but he’s said he is going for a team with pace, particularly up front, as well as an athletic side who can get about the pitch. We’re expecting him to go with a 4-3-3 and, as Spurs have shown at the top level, you need young legs and pace to make that work.”