Port Vale greats that went on to play at higher levels
Port Vale have never played top-flight football. That hasn’t stopped top talent from coming in and out of the club over the course of its history. Many former Port Vale stars have gone on to play in the Premier League and some even starred for their nations on the international stage. Which Port Vale greats played out the most impressive careers after departing Vale Park?
Robbie Earle
Port Vale is not experiencing the greatest period in its history at present as they sit firmly in the mid-table of League One. They are comfortably safe from relegation according to football odds as they are offered at a huge 100/1 to drop to League Two this season. The club is very much stable in terms of its position in the English third division, but they are very much in the shadow of its greater days of past decades. Robbie Earle was seen as a leading figure in the 1980s for Port Vale. The attacking midfielder was the team’s top player and one of the leading factors in their promotion to the second division prior to the 1989/90 season – their highest-ever position in the football pyramid. Earle was also present in the famous FA Cup upset over Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987/88 season as the side pulled off a stunning upset over top-flight opposition.
Vale Park awaits… 🤩 pic.twitter.com/hoU1U4Lupm
— Port Vale FC (@OfficialPVFC) February 7, 2023
After leaving Vale, Earle had a number of highlights in his career; his excellent performances over many seasons for his former club earned him a move to Wimbledon in the first division. The midfielder established himself as one of the significant players of Wimbledon’s golden era of the 1990s alongside cult heroes such as John Fashanu and Vinnie Jones.
Earle won the prestigious Premier League player of the month award in February 1997, but his accomplishments did not end at the club level. He was eligible to play for England but after Jamaica qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup he opted to play for the nation of his parentage – a geographical first as no Jamaican international had played for Vale prior. He appeared on eight occasions for his nation and netted a single goal. His only goal for his nation was incredibly important as it was the first-ever Jamaica goal scored at a World Cup finals competition. Few former Vale players could rival Earle’s footballing CV. He was not only an established Premier League star in the 1990s but he had starred at the peak level of international football at the showpiece event in France in 1998.
Mark Chamberlain
Mark Chamberlain was a player that left Port Vale in the summer that Earle joined the club in 1982. He spent his development days at the club and was a loyal servant to the club, but ultimately he left to fulfil the extent of his ambitions in English football. He initially joined local rivals Stoke City where he spent several years playing in the English top flight before departing in 1985 following the club’s relegation. Chamberlain moved on to Sheffield Wednesday who were one of England’s leading teams at the time. Chamberlain’s efforts helped them to record a fifth-placed finish in his debut season, and he managed 8 goals in 66 appearances overall. Wednesday’s fall down the league in the following years led to Chamberlain seeking a fresh transfer once again.
His third spell in the first division came with Portsmouth who he, unfortunately, was relegated with in 1991. But this time he stuck around to attempt to take the South Coast team back to the top flight. However it was not to be and after a few seasons and a narrow promotion miss, he moved on to Brighton and Hove Albion in the third division. The move signalled the end of his chances of returning to the peak level of the English game.
During his international career, Chamberlain had the same decision between Jamaica and England that Earle had to make. He chose to represent the Three Lions and lined out eight times for his country including in a World Cup 1984 qualification fixture against Denmark. Chamberlain starred in the 1984 friendly match against Brazil when John Barnes scored an incredible solo goal in the Maracana.
Both Earle and Chamberlain went on to achieve remarkable things after leaving the club at which they started their professional careers. Both established themselves as top players for their various club teams while also making an impact at the international level. Donning the Three Lions strip in competitive fixtures and lining up for Jamaica at the World Cup are both incredible achievements for individuals who once starred in the lower divisions for Vale.