BAYLEE HAS BEEN A SHINING LIGHT IN A TOUGH CAMPAIGN FOR VALIANTS
PORT Vale writer CLIVE YOULTON has his say on the latest Valiants news...
IT’S interesting how football works in terms of international call-ups. Baylee Dipepa’s rise to the England Under-17 squad is a fantastic achievement for him and the club. Undoubtedly, the opportunities he has been given in Port Vale’s first team have propelled him forward and he has previous boss Andy Crosby to thank for that.
And the reason he has been thrown in is not just about his talent, it is about the shortcomings of a squad that’s languishing in 23rd place in League One.
In that respect he has prospered, not only because Vale have turned to him for some kind of inspiration, but he has also benefited from the raft of injuries suffered by Crosby when he was in charge, plus the club’s failure to secure a striker in the January transfer window.
Of course, Dipepa has to make it work for himself and credit to him for that. The academy staff must have had tremendous faith in him too otherwise Crosby would not have taken the risk had they not given the green light.
To play for your country at such a young age is a thrill and Dipepa seems grounded and ready to take on such a challenge.
He has already scored one goal for Vale’s first team and so became the second youngest player in the club’s history to do, behind Jack Shorrock, another who has profited this season. It seems hardly fair to hand Dipepa the responsibility of having to find the net to keep Vale in the third tier of English football.
He came close again against Oxford when his shot was cleared off the line. No-one can blame him for not taking the chance and the pressure must weigh heavily on anybody who plays up front for Darren Moore’s side given how fragile they are at the back. We’ve also had Ben Lomax and Rhys Walters answer the call when needed, which they’ve done with credit.
The problem Vale have had at times has been having to throw in too many of the youngsters at once because of a lack of availability, when ideally they would be introduced more slowly so they can learn off others in the squad.
Dipepa is one that has seemingly played without fear but it’s fair to say he would have got fewer opportunities in a better squad. It says something that Moore would rather turn to a fledgling 17-year-old and bring him off the bench than seasoned centreforward Ryan Loft.
Of course, it says much about Dipepa’s ability but it also tells you how far down the pecking order Loft has fallen.
Playing in a team that gets booed off most games, which can’t be nice, will also be a good test of character for Dipepa.
It’s a shame one so young hasn’t been able to experience too many highs in a Vale shirt in what is turning out to be a dismal season for the club, with a succession of poor results in front of dwindling home attendances.
We can only hope such a promising teenager does not end up with a relegation on his CV which would sit in stark contrast to the tremendous honour of being picked for his country. He will also miss the game at Burton Albion on Saturday, giving Moore one less option than he would have enjoyed.