Dean Glover

He then played a major role in the Vale side that achieved the club's highest finish since 1931, when they finished eighth in the second tier in 1996–97.

Dean Victor Glover (born 29 December 1963) is an English former football player and manager.

A cultured and stylish defender, he had the ball control skills of a midfielder.

He played 457 league games in a seventeen-year career in the English Football League.

He started his career at Aston Villa in 1980, before he moved on to Middlesbrough seven years later.

Despite being as Birmingham City fan, Glover began his footballing career with hometown club Aston Villa, progressing through the youth team ranks from the age of fourteen to eventually sign professional terms in December 1981 following an eighteen-month apprenticeship.

He made his debut under Tony Barton on 11 January 1984, in a 3–0 defeat to Norwich City at Carrow Road in an FA Cup Third Round Replay.

He never really became a first team fixture in Graham Turner's First Division side, and also played little part of Billy McNeill's reign of 1986–87 that saw Villa relegated into the Second Division.

He spent a brief period of 1987 on loan at Billy McEwan's Sheffield United, but made only five league appearances for the Second Division side.

In his six years at Villa Park he made just 39 top-flight appearances, scoring one goal.

Glover's signed with Middlesbrough for a £60,000 fee in June 1987.

Manager Bruce Rioch played him as a ball-winning midfielder.

"Boro" won promotion into the First Division in 1987–88; they had finished behind second place Aston Villa on goals scored, but managed to beat Chelsea 2–1 on aggregate in the play-off final.

Glover played in both the 2–0 victory at Ayresome Park and the 1–0 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

He spent two seasons at "Boro", helping the club to promotion out of the Second Division via the play-offs in 1988, before he was sold on to Port Vale in February 1989 for £200,000.

He spent nine years at Vale, becoming a club legend for his service.

However, the club struggled in 1988–89, and Glover was sold on before Middlesbrough were relegated back into the Second Division.

He had been at Middlesbrough for just under eighteen months, and made a total of 61 appearances, scoring seven goals; during this time he played as a midfielder as Gary Pallister and Tony Mowbray were well established at centre-back.

During that time he helped the club to win promotion out of the Third Division via the play-offs in 1989, and then out of the Second Division in 1993–94.

Glover was signed by John Rudge in February 1989 for a then-club record £200,000 fee; Rudge intended him to be a replacement for injured defenders Phil Sproson and Bob Hazell.

He became an instant hit with the Port Vale fans as he marked England international Steve Bull out of the game on his debut, a goalless draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He went on to play both legs of the play-off final victory over Bristol Rovers, as a Robbie Earle inspired Vale played their last game of Third Division football thanks to a 2–1 victory.

Glover became a mainstay of Vale's defence throughout one of Vale's most successful periods, forming an excellent partnership with fellow centre half Neil Aspin.

He also played in the club's victory in the 1993 Football League Trophy final, as well as the defeat in the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1996.

He was also named on the PFA Team of the Year in 1993–94.

He was part of the Vale side that won the Football League Trophy in 1993; Vale beat Stockport County 2–1, and Glover played a major part in the buildup to Bernie Slaven's goal, the second of the match.

He also helped the club to reach the play-off final that year by scoring against Stockport at the semi-final stage; Vale went on to lose 3–0 to West Bromwich Albion in the Wembley final.

He was a big part of the promotion campaign of the 1993–94 season which saw Vale return to the First Division – he was an ever-present and was selected in the PFA's Second Division team of the year.

He then had a spell battling injury as he ruptured his ankle ligaments in late 1994 and also suffered with back trouble which kept him out of action until April 1995; he faced further injury woes in January 1996, when his old ankle injury returned.

He managed to recover from these problems to help Vale to the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1996.

Glover left Port Vale at the end of the 1997–98 season as Vale avoided relegation with a final day 4–0 win at Huddersfield.

He had spent nine years at the club, becoming a crowd favourite in the process for his committed displays at centre half and right back.

His many years with the "Valiants" entitled him to a testimonial game, in which singer Robbie Williams also played.

He has the fifth most league appearances of any Vale player.

The final year of his career was seen out at Conference National side Kidderminster Harriers.

He moved on to non-League Kidderminster Harriers in 1998, before retiring the following year.

Glover was a regular fixture in defence for a "Kiddy" side that finished fifteenth in 1998–99.

He joined the back-room staff at Port Vale, and was promoted to first team manager in October 2008, vacating the post in May 2009.

His son Danny was a striker at the club until he was released at the end of his contract in 2010.

He returned to a youth team coaching role in July 2012.