One hit wonders number seventeen: Nathan Broome

In this series we look back at players who only made a solitary appearance for the Valiants. This article features a recent loanee who only appeared for ninety minutes in a Port Vale shirt.

Nathan Broome in numbers…

Time at club

Minutes played

2025

The fate of the goalkeeper not taking a rare chance…

It must be a tough job being a squad goalkeeper. Outfield players always have a reasonable chance of pushing their way into the side – even in some cases playing out of position. It’s far trickier for a goalkeeper if the club has an established number one – and even worse if you don’t take any chances you are handed. That seems to be the case with loanee Nathan Broome.

The former Stoke City youngster was on the books of Championship side Swansea City when he earned the chance of a loan spell with Darren Moore’s Port Vale side. The Valiants were about to see former number one Connor Ripley move on, and were looking for back-up for new first-choice stopper Ben Amos.

Broome joined the club in mid-January 2025 but it was almost a month before he made his debut. It came in a Football League Trophy game against Wrexham and there were two major problems with the result. Firstly, Broome conceded four on debut as Wrexham ran out 4-1 winners. Secondly, that defeat ended Vale’s participation in that competition making Broome’s chances of any other minutes extremely remote.

That proved to be the case as Broome sat out the rest of the promotion season on the bench as Amos stayed between the sticks. To add to his misery, he was then released by Swansea in the summer.

Broome has struggled for minutes since last season. At time of writing, he made just one appearance for Bolton Wanderers, who he joined on a three year deal. He fared a little better at National League side Rochdale, making four appearances. It seems that is the lot of the goalkeeper who isn’t first choice – and getting games clearly remains a problem.