Keeper Scott Brown returns to one of his former clubs this weekend who he spent nine seasons with. Brown has made the most EFL starts for our opponents but he, along with the rest of the Vale team will be looking to take maximum points back home.
This is Brown’s third season with the Valiants, he made his 500th league appearance earlier this season and his experience has been key to the improvement of the defence since Darrell Clarke was appointed. The 35-year-old has emphasised that picking up points is much more important than personal accolades like clean sheets or appearances.
There have been big changes made since the new manager has come in, but Brown has remained one of the first names on the team sheet after making big and important saves throughout the season. The shot stopper has been impressed by the way that Clarke has implemented what he wants from his players going into games to get the best out of the side.
He said: “It’s been really different to anything we’ve been used to in the last couple of years, training has been really intense. The detail that he gives us is second to none on the opposition, there’s no grey areas from him we know exactly what he wants. Then it’s up to us on the pitch to go out and perform and take the actions out but like I say his details on the opposition are unbelievable”.
“The way he wants us to play and the way he wants us to play against them to counteract their strengths and their weaknesses is absolutely brilliant”.
“It’s been a difficult few weeks as well because we’ve had games Saturday, Tuesday so we’ve not been able to work on loads and loads. Hopefully, we’re seeing signs of that and what he wants and hopefully we can start producing more on the pitch”.
When asked about out of contract players, Brown said: “There are a lot of players at the football club out of contract, the football club is bigger than my future or any of the other lads out of contract”.
“Every single player out of contract needs to make sure that the football club is a Football League club next year and whether you’re staying here being a Football League player whether your under contract, out of contract or whether you get released at the end of the year.
“Nobody wants a player who’s been relegated from the Football League and there’s going to be hundreds and hundreds of players out of contract this summer”.
Nearing the latter stages of his career, Brown is settled at the club with his family not being too far from the area. He has the number one shirt and wants to play in the EFL for as long as he can. With him being out of contract this summer there is more emphasis on him to continue his consistent performances to secure his future.
Looking ahead to Cheltenham: “They’re a really good team, they’re a threat from set plays not just the corners and long throws, they’re a big team. To come away with anything tomorrow we know we’ll have to put in a really, really good performance”