Vale Midfielder Announces Retirement

Vale midfielder Chris Shuker has announced that he is to retire from professional football at the end of the season owing to a chronic knee injury.

The former Barnsley player played his last game for the Valiants when appearing as a second half substitute during last Friday`s defeat to Sheffield United. Barring illness or injury he will not be involved for Saturday`s final game at Peterborough. Shuker has been struggling with the condition since 2007 and it has badly hampered him this season, when he has played only a bit part role in Vale`s season.

Since his acquisition from Morecambe, Shuker has been a valued squad member. Performing well during the early stages of Vale`s promotion from League Two last season, when featuring predominantly in central midfield, his clever footballing brain has compensated for his declining physical state.

Manager Micky Adams praised Shuker`s contribution to the club. Speaking to the Official Site the Vale boss commented: ” He has been a fantastic professional and has never been a problem. He has worked hard every day and even looking at him in training, you just wonder how he has managed to survive.

‘Chris is a fantastic lad, a great professional, a real model professional and somebody who the young lads can look up to and say ‘that`s how you do it` on a daily basis.

“I am delighted he was part of the squad that got promoted and sorry perhaps that he has not played as many games this season as he would have liked.

“But I have known about this on-going problem with his knee for a long, long time and it is a sad end to a fantastic career for him.”

We wish Chris all the best for the future.