At Port Vale this summer, former Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore is in charge of a team makeover.
One year after Sheffield Wednesday promoted him from the third division, Darren Moore was relegated to League One with Port Vale last season.
It brought Moore’s difficult season to an end. Unexpectedly, he left Sheffield Wednesday in June 2023.
Moore reportedly departed Sheffield on Wednesday due to a pay dispute with owner Dejphon Chansiri, according to reports.
Moore denied rumours that he was paid Sheffield Wednesday before taking over as manager of Huddersfield Town, where he managed to win three games in his brief spell.
Then, in February of this year, Moore became the Port Vale manager. Moore only managed two victories in 17 games, and the Valiants were demoted to League Two.
After Sheffield Wednesday’s earlier this summer, Vale signed ten more players, among them George Byers.
And Moore has now bolstered his team at Vale with another former Owl.
Darren Moore signs former Sheffield Wednesday man Ben Heneghan at Port Vale
Ben Heneghan, another former Owl, has now joined Moore on a two-year contract. He left Fleetwood Town at the end of the last campaign.
centre-back Heneghan played for Sheffield Wednesday during the 2022–2023 season, when the Owls won promotion and he made ten appearances in League One.
Heneghan was eventually released due to injury, which limited his playing time, but while he was a Sheffield Wednesday player, he had a lot of promise.
Regarding the acquisition, Moore remarked, “Ben is another guy that I genuinely know from my days at Sheffield Wednesday.
“He will give our defensive unit some true competition. He is a fantastic character to have in and around the dressing room. He is an aggressive, aerially dominant centre half leader.
Darren Moore is repeating Sheffield Wednesday trick at Port Vale
Under Moore, Port Vale appears to be a strong early contender for promotion in League Two.
Expect Vale to have high hopes heading into the upcoming season given the team has a tried-and-true manager in Moore who has experience winning promotions.
Impressive signings have also included Jayden Stockley and Ronan Curtis, two Football League veterans who joined Byers, a true coup.
Additionally, Heneghan will show to be a wise addition for Moore and Port Vale if he can maintain his fitness.
Moore’s two summer overhauls at Hillsborough feel a lot like this one—both heavily reliant on free transfers with the occasional star player thrown in.
Seeing how Byers, Heneghan, and Moore perform in the upcoming season will be fascinating.
About The Author
