Thursday 23 February 2012 12:29, UK
Chris Birchall made his first appearance in a Port Vale shirt for almost six years when he played for the reserves on Wednesday.
Birchall, a free agent after leaving LA Galaxy at the end of last year, has been training with the club where he began his career in 2001 and is waiting to be granted international clearance before finalising a month-to-month deal. He played 84 minutes in a defensive midfield role as Vale drew 1-1 against Walsall. It was the 27-year-old's first meaningful action since helping the Galaxy win the MLS Cup in America in November and Birchall's first appearance in a Vale shirt since a 3-1 home win over Chesterfield in League One on April 29, 2006.