Port Vale defender Shaun Brisley has told the Stoke Sentinel that he feels he's still good enough to play in the EFL, despite slipping out of it with Notts County last season.

The 29-year-old has played for Macclesfield, Carlisle and Peterborough to name three, but dropped out of League Two last season with Notts County after a calamitous season at Meadow Lane.

He left by mutual consent after that relegation and following a summer of uncertainty, penned a one-year deal with former Macclesfield teammate John Askey in August.

He's only played once since joining the club as he searches for match fitness, but he's convinced that he's still got what it takes to play in the Football League.

"I am confident in my own ability," he said.

"I know I am still good enough to play at this level. I am only 29 years old, I have played not far off 400 career games so I know I am more than capable of doing a job.

"It probably didn't help the fact I was in a team that struggled last year and I didn't really get many games towards the end of the season. There are that many players out now that are all fighting for places at Football League clubs that you have to be on on your mettle all the time."

Vale are currently 15th in the table having drawn 3-3 with Orient this weekend, a game in which Brisley was an unused substitute. He's only started a single game for Port Vale, the 3-2 away win at Macclesfield Town in the EFL Trophy.

The Verdict

The lines between Football League and National League can be very blurred. If you're good enough for the top of one, you're almost certainly up to playing in the other. Many players go from a successful fifth-tier side straight into League One.

It's a mindset as much as anything, being a 'Football League' player matters to some professionals, but there's surely more prestige in winning trophies at the level below. Look at Tranmere's National League squad from 2018; many now play in League One or the Championship.

Brisley might be good enough to sit on vale's bench, but a move to the right National League side might have been more beneficial.

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