Port Vale: Glover admits he considered quitting the game over Vale woes

STRIKER Danny Glover admits his flagging Port Vale career made him consider quitting the game at just 20.

Glover, who is now on the crest of a wave after his loan move to League Two high-fliers Rochdale, reached his lowest ebb after being transfer-listed by manager Micky Adams and completing an unsuccessful spell at non-league Salisbury City.

His fall from grace capped a testing 12 months for the youngster, who was targeted by the Vale boo-boys last season while his dad, Dean, was in the manager's hot-seat.

Still elated by his deadline day move to Spotland on Thursday, Glover said: "In the past month, I've had to think about what I want to do, including whether to move elsewhere or go out of the game completely.

"I did think about quitting because I wasn't getting anywhere and the past few years had been hard for me.

"I was thinking whether I needed this hassle in my life, but I've never wanted to do anything else but play football, so I decided to knuckle down and give it my best shot – and since then, I've been doing well."

Glover's efforts earned him his first appearances of the season, as he came on as a substitute for both the FA Cup victory at Stevenage and the League Two draw at Barnet last weekend.

He has also impressed for Vale's reserves recently, grabbing a brace in the 5-1 victory at Walsall on November 11, while he also netted the equaliser in Wednesday's 1-1 draw at Burton.

Nevertheless, it was still a surprise when Rochdale, sitting pretty in second place in League Two, took Glover on loan until January 2.

However, it is an opportunity he intends to grab with both hands.

"Given the chance, I know I can prove my doubters wrong," he said.

"The last year has been really hard, but it's made me a stronger person, and I don't think I will face anything as hard in football as being on the transfer list.

"I suppose a lot people wrote me off when the manager put me on the transfer list and thought I'd never play for Vale again.

"But I knew that if I knuckled down I would play again and I had to get on with it."

The trials of the past year must have come as a shock to a player who was rated one of the club's brightest prospects, alongside the likes of fellow apprentices James Lawrie and Simon Richman.

The trio helped Vale win a clutch of trophies, including the Midland Youth Cup in the 2007-08 season, when they also reached the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals before bowing out to Chelsea.

"I had to think about things because in the youth team I couldn't do any wrong," added Glover, who has made 50 senior appearances since breaking into Vale's first team as a 17-year-old in October 2007.

"I was playing well every week and everything seemed to be going for me in the youth and reserve teams.

"We were doing well, I was playing well and scoring goals and then I came into the first team.

"I did well at first, but I've struggled more recently, although I've played well in the odd game. But it's been a learning curve.

"I've had to look at myself, knuckle down and had to show people that I'm good and that I can do it."