The stakes may be incredibly high in Saturday's League Two play-off final, but that has not stopped Port Vale from rewarding Bristol Rovers legend Darrell Clarke with a new five-year contract.
The Vale manager leads his side to Wembley tomorrow, facing his hometown club Mansfield Town with a place in League One on the line, but despite the uncertainty of what division they will be playing in, the Burslem club have secured the services of the Gas icon until 2027.
Clarke has recently returned to the dugout from compassionate leave following a close family bereavement and the 44-year-old – the mastermind of Rovers' promotion triumphs in 2015 and 2016 – led his team to victory over Swindon Town on penalties in the semi-final.
Regardless of Saturday's result, Vale are delighted with the man they have in the dugout.
“This was such an easy decision for me," Clarke told the club's website. "The support my team and I have received has been second to none and we are building something very special at Port Vale. My focus, as always, remains on continuing to improve – match by match, season by season. And I’m so grateful for this opportunity to work with such incredible people.
“I love working for this club, the owners and Dave Flitcroft. We have such an honest and upfront relationship. The support I have received from day one has been fantastic. We constantly challenge each other because we are all obsessed with football and are driven to create a culture of improvement and success for Port Vale.
“The togetherness throughout the entire club has been shown on the pitch with the season we have had so far. I want more. We all want more. This appetite is needed to drive the club forward. Building a winning culture is what we are all about.”
Clarke joined Vale from Walsall in 2021, finishing the season strongly before mounting a promotion bid this season, and director of football Dave Flitcroft made clear his admiration for the job his manager has done.
He said: "Darrell is a credit to the club with his passion, his drive and his enthusiasm. I knew that was a part of who he was when we brought him to the club but now I’ve seen it and felt it.
"With regard to players, Darrell wins their hearts and minds. They would run through a brick wall for him. He cultivates a very good dressing room environment and passes on to players the values of the club."
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