VALE BOY CATCHES EYE WITH SPARKLE
PORT VALE chairman Norman Smurthwaite is preparing himself for a battle to keep hold of impressive youngster Nathan Smith after the defender put pen to paper on a new deal.
Following a successful season on loan with Torquay United last term, 20-year-old Smith has carried that form over to this campaign.
Ahead of this weekend, he had played in every Port Vale game this season – scoring three times – and was nominated for August’s League One player of the month award.
That form was rewarded with an improved threeyear contract, but Smurthwaite is expecting interest in the Vale youth prodigy to increase as the season goes on, with the chairman revealing that higher-placed clubs are already sniffing around the young starlet.
“He’s being scouted by Championship clubs," Smurthwaite said. “You could see he's come back a man from being at Torquay for a year.
“I anticipate there’ll be some interest in the window, not just at the end of the season. But it’s a long time between now and January.
“He’s making himself known. And we’ve been having dialogue with his agent ever since he came in and played his first game in the first team.”