Michael Brown strengthened his squad with another summer signing on Wednesday as Antony Kay joined Vale.
The experienced defender has signed a two-year deal and the manager is delighted with his latest recruit.
With the players returning to pre-season training on Thursday, Kay had the chance to meet his new teammates as fitness tests got under way.
After overseeing the first day back, the manager took time to talk about the newest member of the Port Vale squad.
He said: "Antony became available and you can see the amount of football he has played over his career. He was captain at another club and I feel that it's important to draft leaders in here at Vale.
"It's a great addition for us and I'm looking forward to having him. He has come straight into the group with a bubbly personality and he knows his way around the game so it's a brilliant signing for us."
With regards to bringing in players that are capable to stand up to the challenges of League Two, Brown insists that he wants leaders all over the pitch.
He said: "It was there for everyone to see last season that we didn't have that many of them, but it's great to have someone of his calibre and experience. He already knows some of the boys too which is excellent."
Following the deal that brought Kay to the club, the manager reiterated that he is still working extremely hard to build a competitive team and that conversations with players are ongoing. However, he admits that some will be difficult to sign.
Speaking about Andre Bikey, Brown said: "There's no end in the interest, but he is also pursuing other opportunities. Other countries may pay extremely well but we are still in dialogue with him. We check in every now and then so we just have to see where it goes."