Vale midfielder Conlon tipped to attract interest from higher up

PORT Vale midfielder Tom Conlon should be attracting interest from higher division clubs.

That’s the verdict of Guy Branston, the Leicester City loan manager who is also a columnist for the Football League paper.

The former centre half, who played for 18 clubs and won back to back promotions with Rotherham, highlighted Conlon in his column for the paper when talking about players who could make the step up.

He said: “I watch loads of lower league football and there are some excellent players who are sure to be on the radar of bigger clubs come January.

“Midfielder Tom Conlon, 24, at Port Vale is a player I like. I have been really impressed by his technique, movement, positioning and attacking ability.

“If he keeps his tempo and keeps working hard around the box, he’ll get a lot of assists and goals.”

Conlon, below, is currently unavailable to manager

John Askey because he is having to isolate following a Covid-19 test.

The left-footed midfielder missed Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Barrow but was arguably Vale’s best player in the previous game when he scored a free kick in the 4-3 defeat at Walsall.

The former Wolstanton High School pupil, from Porthill, joined Vale on a free transfer from Stevenage in the summer of 2018 after impressing then-manager Neil Aspin on trial.

He was in Stoke City’s academy and, when he was released by them, was signed by Newcastle Town before he was snapped up by Peterborough United.

John Askey revealed last week that he’d had inquiries for one or two of his players ahead of the January window. However, the manager will be looking to keep Conlon and move on players who are currently on the fringes of his first team.

Conlon is under contract until the summer of 2022 having signed a new, twoyear deal this summer.