Exclusive: Don Goodman drops Port Vale claim involving Darren Moore after "rollercoaster" season | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman praises Moore’s leadership as Port Vale seal promotion from League Two

Following the club’s relegation from League One at the end of the 2023/24 season, Port Vale’s decision to appoint Darren Moore on a five and a half year contract represented a significant long-term investment in stability and leadership.

That decision has now been vindicated, with Vale securing automatic promotion back to the third tier with a game to spare.

Victory at AFC Wimbledon confirmed their return to League One, capping off a season that, while ultimately successful, presented several challenges.

The Valiants led the League Two table for much of the opening half of the campaign, only to suffer a loss of form mid-season, exacerbated by the injury to captain Ben Garrity. By January, they had fallen out of the automatic promotion places.

However, through careful squad management and targeted recruitment, Moore was able to arrest the decline and guide his side back into contention.

Don Goodman gives Darren Moore his flowers for promotion in a “fierce race”

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former pro Don Goodman has commended Darren Moore for his stewardship of Port Vale throughout a demanding and competitive League Two season.

Goodman highlighted the level of expectation placed on Moore from the outset and praised his ability to navigate a promotion race in which several clubs remained in contention until the closing weeks.

“I’ve been very impressed with the job Darren Moore has done at Port Vale, mostly because the expectation of Port Vale being automatically promoted was there before a ball was kicked back in August, so that means the pressure was already on.” Goodman told FLW.

“It had been a little bit of a rollercoaster after an opening four games which probably didn’t go as well as they’d want.

“They then had a really good unbeaten run, they then had a bit of a patch, then another unbeaten run, and they’ve finished the season relatively strongly, winning five of the last seven games to nail the deal.

“But it’s how he managed to cope with the pressure, and nurse them through, because it was a fierce race, and not that long ago any one of probably say the top seven or eight were in the automatic promotion race. So he’s managed to steer them through, and I think he deserves enormous credit for that.”

Darren Moore’s appointment signalled a clear intent from the Valiants' ownership to lay the foundations for long-term success.

This season’s promotion serves not only as a return to League One but as the first substantial step in Moore’s wider project.

His impact has been structural as well as immediate: stabilising a disjointed squad, restoring belief within the club, and implementing a coherent tactical identity.

With promotion secured and a clear vision in place, Port Vale now possess both the managerial acumen and institutional alignment necessary to compete at a higher level. The challenge ahead is to consolidate - and then build.