Relegation will make Vale mentally stronger - John

Port Vale defender Kyle John says everyone at the club should be mentally stronger as they prepare for a promotion challenge after suffering relegation last season.

Vale endured a tough 2025-26 campaign, winning only 10 times and scoring 36 goals in their 46 league games.

They finished 22nd in the table and 10 points adrift of safety as they returned to League Two a year after winning promotion.

"You want to be playing at the highest level you possibly can," John told BBC Radio Stoke. "So I think we all are on the same page that we want to get back up as quick as possible and that is the target."

John said relegation was "not what anyone wanted" but the experience should give them confidence as they return to life in the fourth tier.

"I think it's going to be a battle as it always is, but I think with the experience of playing at a high level last season, I think it will do us good," he said.

"But it's going to be tough and we're going to need everyone on board and supporting us to get through it."

John was part of Vale's successful promotion two seasons ago and, although that does bring confidence, it also does raise expectations.

"If we don't go up again this season coming then you kind of feel like you've failed a little bit," he said.

"I'm confident in the lads that we can do it. We did it the season before last. Obviously, there's still a few of us here that were part of that, so we have the experience and we know what it takes to get out of this league."

John's time at Vale has been action-packed.

His first season at the club following his release by Everton brought promotion under Darren Moore before a difficult time last term, with a relegation fight, Moore's departure, and an eventual return to League Two under new boss Jon Brady.

But despite the challenges, John enjoyed some personal highlights - standing in as captain when Ben Garrity was injured, and winning the club's player of the season award.

"I'm proud to obviously get the awards in my second season in first-team football," John said.

"I feel like I've settled in here straight away. I've got that bit of experience behind me now and I feel like I'm growing in confidence.

"It was a really, really enjoyable season that first year with the promotion. I was really excited to come back and play in League One and was really confident that we'd obviously do well.

"We hit a lot of hurdles this year. When you're losing a lot and you're not scoring goals, the points aren't adding up.

"I think it's more of a mental battle to keep going and try to find that positivity within yourself and build that resilience."

John said wearing the armband had also helped him mature, but said that when he found out he was captain for the first time against Stevenage, he thought Brady had made a mistake.

"I didn't know anything about it up until we had the team meeting and there was a circle next to my name. It said 'captain', so I was a bit surprised. I thought it was an error at first, so I had to double check.

"I was proud and it definitely brought out a different side to my game to try to lead with performance and effort.

"It kind of just levelled up a sense of responsibility and that I need to perform even better than I have been in the past to kind of put a statement out.

"After the first couple of games, I grew into it and developed a different side to my game."