Forward says attacking options give the Vale the ability to adapt their approach and also drive high standards in the training.

• James Wilson | “Healthy competition is driving us to keep our shirts”
• Port Vale forward discusses his pre-season, return from injury, most successful season last year and competition in Darrell Clarke’s squad
• Wilson: “I feel like I had a really good pre-season up until the injury so I am delighted to get back into the team now and build the minutes I missed out on at the start of the season.”

Port Vale forward James Wilson says he is delighted to be back in Darrell Clarke’s side after a late pre-season injury prevented him from featuring in the early stages of the Vale’s return to League One.

The 26-year-old’s first start of the campaign came in September’s 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town and the striker says he wants to build on what was his “most successful season” last time out.

“I feel like I had a really good pre-season up until the injury so I am delighted to get back into the team now and build the minutes I missed out on at the start of the season,” Wilson explained.

“I have to keep building more games and more minutes; last year was by far my most successful season individually and within the team.”

On the further competition his return provides, Wilson added:

“I think it is a good position for the manager to be in; the recruitment has been good and we have good options in a lot of areas. That creates healthy competition and we are driving each other in training to keep our shirts for the weekend.

“It is all about gelling, knowing each other’s games and I think we are building on that day in and day out on the training pitch and we can only get stronger with that.”

The Vale head to Wilson’s former club Derby County on Saturday, with the striker having spent a brief loan spell at Pride Park in 2016.

And previewing the weekend’s game, Wilson said that he hopes the Vale can build on their solid start to life back in the third tier when they face a Rams side who have won back-to-back League One games.

“It is different projects every week from game-to-game; it is different with the game plan and how we will approach the game,” he explained.

“I think we have held our own in most games against some of the big teams that we have come up against so we are doing well but we are trying to build on that and see how far we can get this season.”