Port Vale’s Darrell Clarke: ‘There were a lot of dark days and will be in future’

There is unlikely to be a dry eye come the eighth minute at Wembley on Saturday. Mansfield Town have invited their supporters to applaud their former No 8 Darrell Clarke, who spent more than a decade at the club but will be in the opposing technical area managing Port Vale in the League Two playoff final, after he experienced a close family bereavement this year. “It is very, very touching and a massive thank you for that, and a massive thank you for the love and respect that everybody has given me during what has been a tough time for myself and my family,” Clarke says. “You have to pick yourself up. I want to make the rest of my family proud and continue to do a job that I love.”

Vale players more than once warmed up in T-shirts bearing the words ‘Thinking Of You Gaffer’ from February and Clarke has thanked the League Managers Association and Professional Footballers’ Association for their support after taking six weeks’ compassionate leave before a phased comeback, which culminated in a return to the dugout for the final game of the regular season at Exeter, where Vale earned their first win in four games and a playoff place. “I came back because I felt I was ready,” Clarke says. “I was bedding myself in slowly. There were a lot of dark days and there will be in the future but I felt ready to be able to lead my staff and my players.”

Clarke’s assistant, Andy Crosby, led the team in his absence, supported by the coach Dean Whitehead and the rest of the first-team staff. After victory at Hartlepool last month, Clarke, who watched from the stands, went on the pitch and repeatedly pointed to Crosby before the away fans sang Crosby’s name. “Andy was picking the team and doing everything and did an outstanding job. They’re