Port Vale: Sean Rigg ready to fan the flames by achieving Vale Park goal

SEAN Rigg will have just one goal in mind when he returns to Vale Park tonight with his new club Oxford United (7.45pm).

The winger is desperate to score against his old club.

The 24-year-old thoroughly enjoyed his time at Vale Park, but insists there'll be no split loyalties as United seek to get their season back on track with victory over the League Two high-fliers.

Just how he'll celebrate if he does find the net remains unclear, though.

"I'll be meeting a few old friends before and after the game, but I can't deny my big target is to score," he said.

"I had a terrific experience at Vale Park, but you can't afford to be sentimental.

"But if I do score I'm not sure how I'll celebrate. I might not do too much. It's up to the fans really. If I get a load of grief, I'll probably go mental."

Rigg moved to the Kassam Stadium in May after two-and-a-half years at Vale Park.

He initially joined vale on loan from Bristol Rovers in November 2009 and immediately formed an effective partnership with Marc Richards.

Rigg's deal was extended until the end of that season before he signed a two-year permanent contract with the club in the summer of 2010.

Often used in a wide role since then, he went on to score 18 times in 104 appearances for the club.

"I loved my time at Vale," he said, "and I made some good friends there.

"I have a great deal of time for Micky Adams, and I owe him a lot. He gave me a chance to get back on my feet when I'd been released by Rovers."

Rigg was right in the thick of it when the club hit financial problems and eventually went into administration in March.

"It was a tough time, especially when we weren't getting paid," he added. "It starts to get you down when you're worrying about how you're going to pay your bills.

"But considering everything that was going on, we did really well as a group, and the fans were right behind us.

"I think they appreciated the situation we were in and we were grateful for that."

The Bristol-born wide man rejected a move to then League One Exeter to remain loyal to the manager who had helped revive his career.

But the chance of a move south in the summer, when his contract had run out, proved too much of a temptation.

"I left on good terms in the end. I just needed a change.

"I felt Oxford were a big club who were going places as they had a lot of potential.

"It was also a lot closer to where I'm from so it suited me, but it will be good to be back.

"Louis Dodds is a big mate of mine and Adam Yates too. Lewis Haldane was another, and I was gutted to hear about him having to retire."

But Rigg is now a Us man though, and he's had a good start with them, despite scoring just once so far.

"I haven't been finding the net as often as I would like, but I've been playing well, creating chances and getting a few assists," he explained.

"We had a cracking start and were top of the tree early on, but then went on a run where we couldn't buy a win.

"That's why we're quite a way down the table, but we've changed it around now and won our last two.

"We're buzzing at the moment, and we'll be keen to keep it going tonight."

Rigg knows that will be no easy task.

"I've been keeping an eye on their results and they just can't stop winning," he added.

"We know we are in for a tough game, but were ready."