Is Uche Ikpeazu Back to Change Port Vale’s Fortunes?
Uche Ikpeazu is back in Burslem after an eight year absence. After a half-season loan spell with The Valiants as a 20-year-old, the much-travelled 6’3″ forward has signed a contract with Port Vale until the end of the season.
“I am excited to welcome Uche into the team. He joins the group to provide competition and goals at the top end of the pitch having scored goals in League One and in the Championship in recent seasons.” said Port Vale manager Andy Crosby on the arrival of the free agent.
Port Vale could do with some goals from its new signing at the moment. The EFL League One club is winless in four league outings and has failed to score in the last three. The club’s next fixture against Fleetwood Town is now postponed due to international call-ups. This means Ikpeazu has more time to settle in with the rest of the squad while readying himself for match action.
Ikpeazu, the one-time academy-level top scorer in England, most recently appeared in the Turkish Süper Lig for Konyaspor. His Turkish experience wasn’t memorable from a playing perspective as he wasn’t able to find the net in his 15 club appearances.
Before Turkey, Ikpeazu featured in the Championship for Cardiff, Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers. A stint in the Scottish Premiership at Hearts preceded this, with Ikpeazu scoring 10 goals in 55 outings. There were reports of both Glasgow Old Firm clubs showing an interest in signing the striker during his Scottish tenure.
Prior to his return to Vale Park, rumours were that Ikpeazu would resign for Wycombe Wanderers. This failed to materialise so, hopefully, The Choirboys’ loss turns out to be The Valiant’s gain. Ikpeazu’s huge presence in the opposition box alone will keep defenders on their toes.
With last season’s top scorer Ellis Harrison departing for MK Dons, Port Vale has again been relying on Ben Garrity’s goals from midfield. He has four so far but is lacking help from the forwards. Ryan Loft, James Wilson and Josh Thomas only have two goals between them, with both courtesy of Wilson in his 10 appearances so far.
Uche Ikpeazu is not the most prolific scorer himself. In 301 professional appearances, the striker has found the net 57 times, meaning he scores a goal in almost every five games. The general feeling is that, apart from any goals, Ikpeazu’s experience and presence as a target man will create more space. Hence, the other strikers, and midfielders like Garrity, can benefit through more goalscoring opportunities.
With Port Vale slipping to ninth in the League One table on the back of some wretched recent form, the time is right for a change in fortune. Watching the current League One odds at the range of online betting sites available in the UK will add some credence to this statement. Port Vale has recently fallen in the betting and is listed as only the 14th favourite for the League One title, with odds of 200/1.
Perhaps a Valiants forward line featuring Uche Ikpeazu will make the difference and turn its fortunes around? Should that end up being the case, there will likely be a lot more happy Port Vale fans and savvy football bettors in Stoke-on-Trent soon.