Saddlers boss Dean Smith planning to leave Port Vale in tears
Dean Smith insists he has no regrets leaving Port Vale to pursue his coaching career – as Walsall reap the rewards.
The Saddlers boss ended his playing career at Vale Park in 2005 after accepting the position of youth team manager at Leyton Orient. Now he faces them for the first time as a manager tonight as he targets Johnstone's Paint Trophy glory. Then Orient boss Martin Ling, now at Torquay, tempted Smith to Brisbane Road to set him on the road to management.
Smith only made 15 appearances for Vale during a six-month spell but said only the chance of furthering his career convinced him to leave.
He said: "It was the offer to go into coaching, Martin Ling offered me the youth team job at Orient. It was one of those situations where I still wanted to play as long as I could but I knew I was coming to the end of my career and it was a chance to go onto the first rung of my coaching career.
"It proved to be the right decision at the time.
"It's a good place, Port Vale. I have good memories but I was only there a short time, in the twilight of my career.
"I was doing my A-Licence during my time there and over the summer I'd finished it. I was living in Sheffield at the time so I was coaching in and around there.
"I did my badges with Martin and he took over at Orient with Ian Culverhouse as his number two and asked if I could come in as youth team manager."
Free-scoring Vale are second in League Two with striker Tom Pope having smashed 11 goals already this season.
The Saddlers are 11th in League One after Saturday's 2-1 Carlisle defeat and, with the JPT representing their best chance of silverware, Smith insisted they will go all out to win.
He said: "For clubs in League One and Two it's a chance for you to go to Wembley, take the fans and experience that. I spoke to Greg Abbott about it after he won it with Carlisle and John Sheridan at Chesterfield and it's a fantastic occasion for the football clubs.
"We'd love to go there and try to win it. We'll be all out trying to beat Port Vale which is a tough start."
But Smith insisted his former club deserve success after they slipped into administration last season.
He said: "They are doing really well, had a really tough time being in administration. There are a lot of question marks over the future of the club and what is happening so Micky Adams deserves a lot of praise.
"It's a really tough game. You only have to look at what they're doing in the league. They've got some really good players."
Adam Chambers could return to the squad after five weeks out with a hamstring injury but brother James is still sidelined with his thigh problem.
Vale are sweating on captain Doug Loft after he limped out of their 2-0 win at Exeter with a calf injury where Pope grabbed another two goals.