Port Vale CEO - Matt Hancock ("One Academy Player Goes Pro Every Year"") - Episode 27 snippet")

I’m joined by Matt Hancock the CEO of EFL League 1 team Port Vale, on Episode 27 of my podcast.

Matt tells me that there are currently 180 boys in the academy. He says that although it would be ideal, it's highly unlikely for a player to go straight from under 9s all the way through the age groups into the First Team.

Full Episode: Friday May 22nd 2026