Vale confident of star staying
By David Levene | Monday 05th JunePrint this pageEmail page
Team links:
Trinidad and Tobago
Port Vale
Player links:
Chris Birchall
Despite Chris Birchall having just 12 months remaining on his current deal and representing Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup, Port Vale chairman Bill Bratt believes that fans will see Birchall at Vale Park next season.
Bratt told The Stoke Sentinel that the club do not want to see him leave, although he is fully aware some stellar showings in Germany could put him in the shop window.
"Chris says he doesn't want to leave Port Vale and that is great," said Bratt. "As far as we are concerned, he is a Port Vale player and we haven't thought about a value for him."
However, the Port Vale chief does realise that things could change.
"He doesnt really want to leave, but these things have a habit of changing," he continued. "I could see that if a big club came in for him then he would want to go."
Birchall impressed by scoring in the first leg of the World Cup play-off, but was forced to sit out most of the second leg, with a leg injury preventing him from playing
Included by Leo Beenhakker in the 23-man squad, Birchall was the first white player to represent the islands when he made his debut last year.
Despite growing up in Staffordshire, his mother was born there and Jack Warner, vice-president to Fifa, and special adviser to Trinidad & Tobago helped him to obtain a passport.
