And Bikey makes three
Port Vale have, during this season, signed not one, not two but three players who represented the Clarets in our first ever Premier League season in 2009/10.
It seemed a perfect match when Martin Paterson joined his home town club back in August. He made his debut in a 3-1 win against Scunthorpe on the last Saturday of the month, a rare defeat for Scunthorpe at that time, and went on to make 16 league appearances for Vale, scoring twice in successive games at Bristol Rovers and then at home against Millwall.
His last appearance was a ten minute cameo on Boxing Day and that night Vale confirmed he had left the club with his few months there held back by injury. Pato had a short spell in America with Orlando City back in 2015, another move that ended due to injury, and he’s returned to America and signed for Tampa Bay Rowdies who are now based in St. Petersburg, Florida and will play in the USL during 2017.
No sooner had Paterson gone than Chris Eagles arrived at Vale Park. Eagles spent the first half of the season with Accrington but, after starting just twice, his contract wasn’t extended beyond January. He signed for Vale on 11th January and has, to date, made ten league appearances with six of them starts.
Like Paterson, he too has scored twice in successive games; his goals came in a 1-1 draw at Southend, a header no less, and their first, an equaliser, in a 3-2 home win against Swindon.
Eagles has now been joined by Andre Bikey. Since leaving Burnley in 2012, following a fall out with manager Eddie Howe after the FA Cup defeat at Norwich, a game which proved to be his last for us, he’s played for a number of clubs. His time at Burnley ended with a loan at Bristol City and he’s since played for Middlesbrough, Panetolikos and Charlton before going to India and signing for first NorthEast United and then Pune City, home of the Venky empire.
Last Friday, Port Vale confirmed he had signed a short term contract with them until the end of the season. The 32-year-old has been training with them since returning to England and impressed enough to earn a deal. They beat Shrewsbury that night. Eagles played in the 2-1 win although Bikey hadn’t signed in time to be involved.
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