Port Vale: Dean Whitehead appointed first-team coach by Darrell Clarke

Image source, James Baylis (AMA) - Getty Images

Image caption, Dean Whitehead's most recent role in football was assistant manager at Shrewsbury, which he left in November 2020 when Sam Ricketts was sacked

Port Vale have appointed Dean Whitehead as first-team coach to Darrell Clarke.

The 39-year-old former Sunderland, Stoke City, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield midfielder becomes the latest part of director of football David Flitcroft's summer overhaul.

"Dean had a fantastic playing career and is definitely someone our squad can look up to," said Clarke.

"He has also had great experience coaching with his roles at Huddersfield and most recently Shrewsbury Town."

Hard-running midfielder Whitehead made 620 career appearances after starting his career at Oxford United, mostly in the Premier League, three times winning promotion to the top flight, twice with Sunderland and later with Huddersfield.

His first coaching role was as Huddersfield Under-19s coach before leaving to work under his former Oxford team-mate Sam Ricketts at Shrewsbury in November 2019.

But, although he was promoted to assistant manager last August, he left when Ricketts was sacked by Shrewsbury in November 2020.