Mark Harris determined to prove himself at Vale

Mark Harris admits that he can't wait to pull on the Vale shirt after he completed his loan switch from Premier League Cardiff City this week, and he is itching to make an immediate impact if he is selected for Saturday's fixture against Carlisle United.

The 20-year-old striker has already experienced Sky Bet League Two football this season after spending the first half of it on loan to Newport County, and he is aiming to feature as much as possible for Vale over the next five months.

Harris travelled to Tuesday's Checkatrade Trophy clash with Bristol Rovers despite being ineligible to play, but he has trained with his new teammates during the past few days and he can't wait to get going at Vale Park.

He said: "I wanted to go out on loan again to get some more game time, so once I heard Port Vale were interested I agreed to come here straight away. 

"I spoke to the gaffer and he put a lot of confidence in me by saying that I'd play, but now I've got give back to him and the fans to show everyone what I can do.

"I've had about three or four training sessions now and I have to be honest, the lads have been great. They've all welcomed me so I'm just looking forward to getting out there on Saturday now in front of the supporters.

"Hopefully I can get into the starting line-up, but If I'm on the bench, hopefully I can make my debut this weekend. If I do get the start I'll be buzzing - I'm just trying to work hard in training to show the gaffer what I'm capable of."

With the injured Tom Pope set to return to action in the coming weeks and the likes of Ricky Miller and Danny Elliott fighting for a place in the attacking positions, Harris knows it will be a test to cement a place in the side, but it's a challenge he is relishing.

One thing that he does possess is versatility, so he does give Vale an option in both the central and wide roles, but wherever he plays on the pitch, he is keen to ensure that he makes the most of his time at the club by helping Neil Aspin's team secure points in the league.

"I've come here to gain experience, but that isn't all I want. I want to put a marker down and show what I can do in this league, scoring as many goals as I can and getting minutes in," Harris said.

"At the start of my loan spell with Newport I scored a couple of goals and made a few assists, so I'd say I'm quite comfortable at this level, but I still have a point to prove yet.

"I'm not where I want to be just yet, but it all starts on Saturday now - hopefully I can start with some minutes on the pitch and maybe even a goal."