Port Vale goalkeeper Aidan Stone and striker Jamie Proctor sign new deals

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Aidan Stone helped Port Vale earn promotion to League One via the play-offs in MayImage source, PA Media
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Aidan Stone helped Port Vale earn promotion to League One via the play-offs in May

Port Vale goalkeeper Aidan Stone and striker Jamie Proctor have both signed new deals with the promoted League One club.

Stone has signed a contract extension tying him to Vale Park until June 2024.

The 22-year-old signed a one-year deal, with the option of an additional 12 months, when he arrived on a free transfer from Mansfield last summer.

But the club have opted to now add on a further year's extension.

"Aidan's at a great age - and goalies mature and get better as they get older," said Vale boss Darrell Clarke. "You can see from his performances at the start of the season to the end of the season when he was cemented in the team how fast he develops.

"There are areas of the game that he needs to work on and continue to develop and we're hoping to make him an even better keeper, and if he keeps progressing the way he has been throughout last season, we'll have a real top keeper on our hands."

Stone made 28 appearances last term, becoming a fixture over the second half of the campaign and keeping 11 clean sheets, capped by his penalty save in the play-off semi-final second-leg shootout win over Swindon Town.

Image source, Getty Images
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Eight of Jamie Proctor's 12 league goals last season came at Vale Park

Much-travelled Proctor had the most prolific season of his 15-club career in 2021-22, finishing Vale's overall top scorer with 13 goals.

"Jamie had a tremendous season," said Clarke. He had one or two injury problems towards the back end, but he never stopped putting his body on the line,

"He will also offer so much in helping the younger members of the squad. He's a great leader in the changing room and I'm really pleased he's decided to re-sign, especially after there were a lot of clubs interested."

Meanwhile, winger Alex Hurst has left Burslem to move for an undisclosed fee to National League North club York City, where he is reunited with former Vale boss John Askey.

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