Striker hungry to play from the kick off

Despite being in the twilight of his career, striker Lee Hughes is keen to play in every game, though he accepts at times he will have to bide his time.

He appreciates what other Vale forwards can offer to the team and understands Micky Adams has several options at his disposal, but the hunger hasn’t disappeared for the man the fans love to see wearing the white shirt.

He says: “I want to play every game I can. To be fair the team has won a few games, so I couldn’t really say much, but hopefully now I can show what I can do and start a few more games.

“I am a good professional, I’ll wait for my chance and wish the lads all the best for the game, then hopefully when I come on show that I can still do the business and hopefully I have showed a few people that I still can.

“I know the way Tom Pope works – he wins a lot of balls in the air, he’s good with his feet as well and he is good at bringing other people into play.

“But we have got some good forwards here, we’ve got Willo (Ben Williamson)who is as strong as anything and has got so much pace, then we have got Tommo (Gavin Tomlin). He has been injured lately, but he can bring such a lot to the team.

“It keeps you on your toes and once you get in the team you have got to work your socks off and hopefully you can stay in the team.”

Whether or not he is selected to start against Sheffield United tomorrow, seasoned professional Hughes will have one target in mind for his current club – the three points on offer.

He said: “I have played against them quite a few times and have enjoyed some good games at Bramall Lane – I am used to getting a bit of stick there, especially when I was at West Brom.

“I played in the game that was abandoned when their manager brought players off because they had two or three players sent off and they didn’t have enough players to complete the game.

“The atmosphere will be good there and hopefully we can go there and get three points off them.

“They are at the bottom of the league but it’s no surprise really. It’s not that long ago when they were a Premier League club, but it happens, you only have to look at the likes of Wolves and clubs like Preston.

“Their supporters will say they shouldn’t be there, but it’s not like they have just lost a cup game, it is over several games, so that is where they deserve to be.”