Ipswich Town 2-1 Port Vale reaction – Crosby heaps praise on debutant Plant
Interim manager Andy Crosby was full of praise for teenager James Plant who made his full debut at Portman Road.
Plant could scarcely have had a more intimidating start – for a Port Vale team missing over a half a dozen regulars, against a team with a fearsome home reputation and playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role to boot. However, he impressed throughout with his energy and workrate.
He can walk away from here tonight and think that’s a really good start to my Port Vale career…
Crosby told the media: “James has grown so much on and off the pitch so much in the last eight or nine months, I think his personal skills – the way he is as an 18-year-old lad – he’s a very mature young man and he takes on information really well.
“I spoke to him this morning and said, ‘Sometime you are going to have to make your debut’, and with Tom Pett ruled out this morning, we needed someone who was prepared to run and represent the club with real pride.
“He can walk away from here tonight and think that’s a really good start to my Port Vale career in terms of starts.”
Plant himself added: “I gave my Dad a call, he and my Granddad come and watch all my games, so they drove down as fast as they could and my family at home watched it on iFollow.
“I just want to thank my family and all the coaches as well; I couldn’t have done it without the academy.
“Coming through the academy, it just makes me proud that I have represented them and (rewarded) them for all the work they’ve put in to help me grow as a player.
“I just knew I needed a decent start, and I could build myself into it because it’s different to coming off the bench, which I’m used to. That’s what I thought I did, started quite well, and then grew into the game.
“I ran as hard as I could, did what I could with the ball – we wanted to come out with the result – unfortunately we didn’t, but we did ourselves proud.
“I ran myself into the ground in the first-half then `I thought I might have to slow down a bit in the second. I’d play tomorrow, I’d play again tonight, I just want to keep going now and I don’t want the season to end.”
