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Michael Brown interview: Port Vale assistant plans to play on until 40

Port Vale's player-assistant manager Michael Brown talks exclusively to Sky Sports

Michael Brown is combining playing duties with the role of assistant manager at Port Vale. Ahead of the club’s trip to MK Dons live on Sky Sports 1 HD this Sunday, Adam Bate caught up with Brown to discuss his coaching career and the plans to play on beyond 40…

It's 18 years ago now that Michael Brown was named Manchester City player of the year. Kelechi Iheanacho wasn't even born when the midfielder was sent off on his Premier League debut. But a successful career that's since taken Brown to Sheffield United, Tottenham, Fulham, Wigan, Portsmouth and Leeds looks likely to extend into 2017.

Nicky Butt (left) of Manchester United tangles with Michael Brown of Manchester City during an FA Carling Premiership match at Maine Road in April 1996
Image: Brown in action against Manchester United at Maine Road in April 1996

The 39-year-old is currently player-assistant manager at League One side Port Vale. He'd previously had a player there under Rob Page but took on a coaching role when the manager departed for Northampton. Now he's working with new boss Bruno Ribeiro, a former team-mate at Sheffield United a decade-and-a-half ago. There have been a few managers since then.

"I think I'm onto number 30 now or something ridiculous," Brown tells Sky Sports. "I think it must be a record." It's also an indication of his longevity. What's interesting is that Brown isn't playing on merely to delay the next step in his career. He began his UEFA badges many years ago now. But there's a target in mind that's driving him on.

"I've always wanted to play at least past my 40th birthday," he says. "That would be a nice achievement." While he stresses it wouldn't be "the end of the world" if he doesn't make it, the date now looms large. Port Vale travel to Scunthorpe in late January and should Brown be involved that day then he'll have reached his landmark.

Michael Brown of Tottenham Hotspur is congratulated after scoring in a Premier League match against Leicester City at White Hart Lane on February 22, 2004
Image: Brown celebrates with his Tottenham team-mates after scoring in 2004

If Brown appears relaxed about getting there, his circumstances suggest there's rather more determination involved than he's willing to let on. He suffered an injury in the summer that would have persuaded some younger men to call it a day. Instead, he's battled back to fitness once more. "It was the nasty medial ligaments in my knee," he explains.

"I've managed to get through 45 minutes since. When you're out for 10 weeks and all of the pre-season it's going to take time to come back. I'm just trying to get back to help out and get some minutes. But I'm doing both sides of it with the assistant-manager role as well." Indeed, this dual role means that he's still been very much involved throughout.

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"When I was injured I'd do my rehab and then go and watch training," he says. "Every day I'd be on the pitch taking a few sessions here and there. I think you get to learn about players by being in amongst them. How they take the ball and what they're doing. It gives you a different outlook. But what I've enjoyed too is being on the side on game-day.

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Highlights of Port Vale's 3-1 win over Millwall in Sky Bet League One

"It's a very important side of it where you can help see the game and change it. Sometimes you can just put a block session on but can you really affect the football club and how we are playing on a match-day? You've got to be able to give the feedback in the correct manner about how to change a game. That's an area I certainly think I can help Bruno on.

"As for the other side of it, I'm certainly learning. For instance, on Monday we had a big board meeting and went through the entire football club. So I'm learning about how the football club is run, what's involved and what other people's roles are. That was a learning curve for me. But I just want to keep learning as much as I can while I'm still playing."

Hopefully, his team-mates are learning from him too. He's not the high-intensity firebrand of old but he's still able to marshal a midfield. "It's not necessarily about what you can do," he says. "You can still affect the game with what you can offer to the others. You can still organise them." It's easy to see why Port Vale might be a team in need of organising.

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Highlights of Coventry's 2-0 win over Port Vale from Sky Bet League One

Left unable to field a full side in the summer, the club brought in a host of new names from around Europe. The arrivals from Portugal might have been anticipated but there have been others. There's Gezim Shalaj, a Swiss winger from Cyprus, Zimbabwe-born Christopher Mbamba from Sweden and several more players from Holland and France.

It's not necessarily what you'd expect of Port Vale. Not necessarily what you'd expect in League One. "Well, it's madness," says Brown. "It's madness how many nationalities we've got. We've got some young players who've not played in this country and still have to learn the game. How to win and how to manage a game. That's what we're still trying to achieve."

In the meantime, Port Vale are picking up results. They're currently in the top six having won their first five home games of the season. Alex Jones, a young forward on loan from Birmingham, has scored six goals in seven starts. Dutch defender Kjell Knops and experienced Portuguese midfielder Paulo Tavares have featured regularly.

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"We've done OK considering there were 17 signings," says Brown. "To be fair, most of the boys speak English so that definitely helps. It's been strange and we weren't sure how we were going to start straight off but we've made a good start. There are some tough games coming up now that'll really test us."

Karl Robinson's MK Dons are the opponents on Sunday. "It's a tough place and they play great football under Robbo," adds Brown. "It'll be difficult for us but they've conceded a few and are still getting to grips with coming back down again. It's a great stadium that the boys can enjoy playing in. We certainly want to do much better away from home."

But will he be playing? "Hopefully I can have some involvement on Sunday," he says. "But ultimately it's not about me, it's about the boys and getting them performing first and foremost." He might be thinking like an assistant manager, but Michael Brown's long playing career shows no signs of coming to an end just yet.

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