Port Vale: Liam Chilvers signs new one-year contract

Port Vale defender Liam Chilvers has committed his future to the newly-promoted League One club by signing a new one-year deal.

Chilvers was Micky Adams' first signing following the Alchemy Investment Group's takeover. when he returned to Vale from AFC Telford in November 2012.

Having initially joined on loan, he signed a short-term deal in January.

And the 31-year-old ex-Arsenal trainee, Vale's most experienced centre-half, has now signed an extended contract.

"It has been good to eventually get it signed, I've been away on holiday and people have been away at the club. It's just been a case of getting us together at the same time to do it," he said.

Following the end-of-season release of Darren Purse and last week's exit of John McCombe to Mansfield Town, Joe Davis is now the only other recognised centre-back in the Vale squad, but Chilvers knows there will be more competition for places once the season starts.

"At the end of the season, when I spoke to Micky, he said he'd be bringing in other centre-backs and it would just be down to me to do well enough in pre-season to be playing," Chilvers added.

After spending three months on loan with Vale from Notts County during the autumn of 2011, Vale had hoped to sign Chilvers on a permanent contract in the following January window.,

Having been recalled by Notts following his return to Meadow Lane. he was released last summer, ending up in non-league football with AFC Telford United, who were subsequently relegated, before stepping back up to League Two.