Port Vale have manager shortlist - Bill Bratt

Bratt has been chairman of Vale since 2001

Port Vale chairman Bill Bratt says the club has compiled a shortlist for the vacant managers position at Vale Park.

The job has been vacant since Micky Adams left to join Sheffield United on Thursday but the club has moved quickly to outline potential successors.

"We've drawn a shortlist up. We've had 22 applications already and there are a lot of good candidates," Bratt said.

"We are targeting several people and hopefully we can sort something out very quickly."

Coaches Geoff Horsfield and Mark Grew have been placed in temporary charge for the trip to Rotherham on New Year's Day as second-placed Vale look to bounce back from two successive League Two defeats.

Bratt would not rule out putting the duo in charge permanently but indicated that the club are looking for an experienced figure to overlook the second half of Vale's promotion campaign.

"We need to do something fairly quickly and we need to get someone in of a similar calibre to Micky.

"I hope that Horse and Grewy can get the results in the meantime, we won't rule anything out.

"What we are looking for is somebody who has got discipline, the coaching badges, can work to a budget and motivates the players," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

Bratt added that he may consult Adams as he searches out a suitable replacement.

"He's always been very honest and he's shown his ability and how hard he works.

"His opinion matters," Bratt added.