POPE RESPECTFUL OF DAVIDS

Vale top scorer admires what Dutchman has done

The country’s top marksman, Tom Pope, wants nothing more than three points from Underhill on Saturday and the lads will be going flat out with that target in mind.

They are well aware of the difficulty the fixture poses them and of the influence a certain Edgar Davids may have on the game, and Pope is full of respect for the way the Dutch master has slotted into League Two life.

He said: “It’s very rare you get to see somebody like that playing in League Two, I bet his trophy cabinet is bigger than my house.

“But it is great to see that players of that calibre have still got that love for the game, they are a credit to the sport.

“You see players who if they can’t manage it any more in the Premier League, they stick two fingers up to football and go and play on the golf course.

“It this situation we have got a player coming to a struggling League Two club and he is just doing it for the joy of it, I’m sure he’s not doing it for the money.

“It will be great seeing him on the pitch, but they are struggling, we want the three points and we will do everything we can to do that.

“I’ve been told Ryan Burge says he won’t be wanting Davids’ shirt after the game, but I’ll have it if I can.”