CLARK FIT AND RARING TO GO
PORT Vale’s on-loan defender Mitch Clark played for Aston Villa under23s against Stoke City on Monday night to get match fitness.
The 19-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in the 1-0 defeat at home to Swindon on November 24 and only played his first football since then on Saturday when he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute in the 2-2 draw at home to Cheltenham.
Players on loan are allowed to play for their parent clubs in friendly and reserve games and so the defender was included in Villa’s game against Stoke at Stafford Rangers.
The teenager played for the first 45 minutes in a game watched by Aston Villa boss Dean Smith. Stoke won the game 3-2.
Clark is on a season-long loan at Vale, but Villa have a recall clause in January.
The Valiants accept they may lose him if a club from a higher division comes in, but are hopeful the fact he has been playing regular Vale games will count in their favour.
Clark confirmed on social media that his appearance for Villa reserves doesn’t mean his loan at Vale is coming to an end.
That was echoed on Villa’s official website.
They said: “Players on loan can play for their parent club in non first-team games and the Potters clash gave Clark the perfect opportunity to up his levels ahead of the festive period for Port Vale.”
Valiants assistant manager Lee Nogan, pictured, said playing Clark in the under23s game made sense but the defender will be back in the Vale squad for Saturday’s game at Macclesfield. He explained: “It is to benefit the player and also the new management at Villa who want to have a look at him. It is good for the lad to keep on playing, he is in the squad for us on Saturday. “He has done well for us. He had been out for three weeks and we had been on a good run so we felt we wanted to keep the team that was doing well.
“But I thought he did well when he came on, on Saturday. He gives us a different dimension, especially going forward, so he is an asset for us.”
Vale are in talks with Newport County to rearrange their League Two game which was scheduled
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to be played on Saturday, January 5.
The game has to be moved because Newport are at home to Premier League side Leicester City in the FA Cup third round that weekend.
Newport booked their place in the third round with a thumping 4-0 victory over non-league Wrexham in the last round.