Opinion: Dan Butterworth would be an ideal permanent Port Vale signing

Rob Fielding shares his opinion after Port Vale’s 1-0 home victory over Charlton Athletic and hopes that a loanee will make a permanent switch to Burslem.

Rob Fielding writes…

And for me, Butterworth has proven to an excellent signing. He fulfils the role of withdrawn forward / advanced midfielder (delete as per your preference) perfectly…

There was a familiar feeling for many Vale fans when Danny Butterworth joined on loan from Blackburn Rovers. The opinion of many fans from his previous loan spell at Fleetwood was, well… that Butterworth wasn’t very good. I tend to take those opposing fans’ opinions with a pinch of salt. There’s a whole host of reasons why a loan spell is a success or not. Is the loanee coming back from injury and not fully fit? Does he fit into the team’s formation? There are personal circumstances to consider as well. In short – it doesn’t really matter what a player did for another club, it’s what he does in a Vale shirt that’s key.

And for me, Butterworth has proven to an excellent signing. He fulfils the role of withdrawn forward / advanced midfielder (delete as per your preference) perfectly. His energy is excellent, his low centre of gravity helps him make surging runs, he has an eye for a pass and an eye for a goal. His match winning effort on Saturday afternoon was evidence of his value to the Vale.

The mutual respect between player and club was much in evidence after his goal at the weekend. Vale assistant manager Andy Crosby said – “He has incredible talent. In possession, he can create chances and score, he can play the final pass, He has to add other things to his game to become a more all-round player but he has a desire to improve and credit to him.” Butterworth himself added that “this is the best I have felt in a long time. I feel like I can go out there and play with freedom, knowing I have the backing of the staff and the players.”

There’s a clutch of loanees at the club this season but Butterworth is perhaps the most obvious candidate for Vale to try and nab on a permanent basis. Not only has his form been good but there’s other factors aligning which make make a permanent switch a possibility.

• Butterworth is 23 and only has 43 senior appearance (with a quarter of them coming for Vale this season). If, as Crosby said, he has a desire to improve then he’s arguably at the age where he needs regular first-team football in order to kick on.
• The striker is out of contract in the summer and having not been given a squad number nor involved in first-team training at parent club Blackburn, it seems highly unlikely he will be given a new deal.

It could be that Vale hang on until the summer when the player is out of contract, but that raises the possibility of other clubs showing an interest. I wonder whether a deal can be agreed with Rovers in January? A mutual termination of contract followed by a deal at Vale Park would seem to suit all three parties – the player and both clubs. I certainly hope so as I think Butterworth has a lot to offer the Valiants if he moved permanently.