Port Vale full-back Adam Yates has praised veteran forward Lee Hughes after his all-action man-of-the-match display helped Vale to their first win of the season against Bradford City on Saturday.

Hughes scored one and set-up captain Doug Loft for what turned out to be the winner before being substituted to a standing ovation and Yates believes Vale’s day-to-day management of Hughes’ fitness is paying off. 

Yates said: “You look at him in training and he’ll come in training some days and he’ll be feeling stiff, he won’t be able to do the sort of running that the other lads do in training two or three days after a game but what he does do is any chance is a goal.

“You know that in a game if a chance falls to him more often than not it’s hitting the back of the net.

“You look at the palaver he had with the centre-half on Saturday it gave us all a lift,” Yates explained.

Hughes’ altercation with Bradford’s Rory McArdle appeared to lift the team and the crowd and moments later Hughes latched onto a poor back-pass to put Vale ahead.

“It gave the fans a lift, it certainly put the gitters in them and the next thing you know we’re one up and then he sets the second one up, which is just him all over.

“I think he covered more ground on Saturday than I have ever seen him cover and at 37-years-old you have to take your hat off to him.”

Yates, who has worked his way up to League One after spells in non-league with Halifax Town and Leek Town, believes he is finding his feet after prolonged spell in the first-team

Yates revealed: “I’m probably not far off as fit as I’ve ever been, towards the end of last season I was playing well.

“I feel like I am finding my feet a little bit more now, hopefully I can be picked as many game as I can play and do a good job, if not I know other people are there to take my place.

“I feel like I’ve developed a better understanding with Jeno (Jennison Myrie-Williams) I remember when he came in on loan, I felt like I had a decent understanding with him straight away.”