Port Vale appoint David Flitcroft as director of football

David Flitcroft's most recent role in management was at Mansfield in May 2019

League Two club Port Vale have appointed David Flitcroft as their new director of football.

The 47-year-old former Barnsley, Bury, Swindon Town and Mansfield Town boss will take charge of Vale's search for a new manager.

Vale, 16th in League Two, have been without a manager since parting company with John Askey and his assistant Dave Kevan on 4 January.

Danny Pugh will continue to take charge of the first team as interim manager.

"Our aspiration is to become an established Championship club," said Vale co-owner Carol Shanahan.

"Dave will help us to shape that vision and put the building blocks in place for our continued evolution.

"He is vastly experienced, deeply passionate about the game and understands the potential."

The club were last in English football's second tier for six seasons between 1994 and 2000.

'Vale fans have been through the mill'

Vale, who missed out the Two play-offs by just a point last season, had gone six games without a win when they sacked Askey.

They then won their first match under Pugh but have managed only one more victory in six league and cup games since, although he was in isolation for two of their three league defeats after testing positive for Covid-19.

Pugh has also made it clear that he was not interested in taking on the job on a more permanent basis.

"I am delighted to join the board at Port Vale and excited to start working with Danny and the backroom team," said Flitcroft.

"I admire the ambition, vision and investment of the owners. Vale fans have really been through the mill over the last 20 years but their support has been first-class - no matter what.

"I'll be working to give them a football operation to be proud of - demanding excellence as standard and 100 per cent graft and commitment."

Former Preston, Chester, Rochdale and Bury winger Flitcroft has not been in a management position at a club since leaving Mansfield after 14 months in charge in May 2019.

Prior to that, his first management job was 11 months at Barnsley, where he took over from Keith Hill in December 2012 before guided the Tykes to League One safety.

That was followed by three years at Bury, who he led to promotion to League One in 2013-14, then nine months at Swindon Town.

He led Swindon to seventh in League Two before leaving in February 2018 to join promotion rivals Mansfield.

Both clubs missed out on the play-offs - but Flitcroft got the Stags there a year later, only to be beaten by Newport County on penalties.