VALE RISE THANKS TO WIL POWER

0 Port Vale

Mansfield 3 League Two play-off Final

JAMES WILSON is the kid who struck twice on his Premier League debut for Manchester United – and had to wait eight years to reap the glory.

When Wilson backed interim Reds manager Ryan Giggs’ judgement with a pair of slick finishes against Hull in May 2014, an 18-year-old boy wonder seemed to have the world at his feet.

His talent then withered on the vine but, as Port Vale returned to League One with a Wembley play-off romp, Wilson proved he has retained the good habits he acquired at United.

Now 26, he has matured into a Teddy Sheringham-type forward.

Wilson (above) said: “Besides my debut for United, you can’t really top the way I’m feeling at the minute.

“These are the memories that will stick with me until I die.

“The loan moves I went on gave me the hunger to become a man and teed me up for this. Port Vale are now reaping the benefit of those experiences and I owe a lot to United because they gave me confidence to play in these sorts of games.”

From Derby to Sheffield United, Aberdeen and Salford City, Wilson’s career appeared to have stalled until Vale snapped him up on a free transfer last summer. Manager Darrell Clarke – serenading his man of the match with a giddy chorus of ‘Walking in a Wilson Wonderland’ – paid tribute to his maturity.

“James still has unbelievable talent and he’s probably enjoying his football more than ever,” said Clarke.

Mansfield were undone by a torrid 15 minutes in which Kian Harratt and Wilson put Vale 2-0 up and then Oli Hawkins – booked 14 times during the season – got himself sent off before the break for two yellows.

Mal Benning, whose parents are Indian Sikhs, made it a memorable day for British Asians in football by volleying Vale’s third.

Stags manager Nigel Clough said: “I’ve been relegated on the last day of the season with four minutes to go at Burton, but this is hard to take. We didn’t do ourselves justice.”