Port Vale’s League Two promotion winning defender Nathan Smith has joined Tranmere Rovers after not being offered a contract by the Valiants following their 2nd place finish.
Smith, 29, expressed his excitement on the Tranmere Rovers website commenting that the signing “feels good”. Tranmere manager Andy Crosby also commented prasing Smith as a “leader” and a “warrior”. With over 400 apperances to his name, the defender is a recongisable name to many in the footballing world – especially those in Burslem and Torquay.
What Does Smith Bring For Tranmere Rovers?
The former Vale man describes himself as willing to do “what it takes to win” and with 2 promotions and 400+ apperances under his belt, the 29 year old brings a vast amount of experience both in the 4th tier and most importantly in how to get promoted out of League Two – something Tranmere Rovers will be aiming to do in the 2025/26 season.
The Wirral’s defensive abilities must be improved from the 2024/25 campaign if they are to challenge for promotion next season and this is something that Smith specialises in with the defender keeping 17 and 9 clean sheets in Vale’s two promotion winning season respectively.
Smith can also act at the other end of the field through goal contributions with the defender contributing to 10 goals in the last 3 seasons. This could prove useful in a Tranmere side that only scored 45 goals throughout the course of the 2024/25 season – the 5th lowest in the 4th tier.
Smith’s Achievements –
- Torquay United Player Of The Season – 2015/16
- EFL Young Player Of The Month – August 2016
- League Two Promotion Winner – 2021/22, 2024/25
- Port Vale Player Of The Year – 2016/17, 2022/23
The Smith – Crosby Collabration-Â
Nathan Smith and Andy Crosby aren’t strangers to each other in the footballing world with the two crossing paths on several occassions before coming together at Tranmere Rovers.
The most prominent of these examples came during the 2023/24 season – the season in which Andy Crosby handed the captaincy of the Port Vale side over to Nathan Smith. The 29 year old would go onto to 42 out of the 46 league games in that season but would evantually have the captaincy removed from him by Darren Moore ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Where Does Smith Fit Into The Tranmere System?
During his managerial time at Tranmere Rovers during the 2024/25 season following the sacking of Nigel Adkins, Andy Crosby preferred to play in a 3-4-2-1 system with three centre-backs and two wing-backs. The three centre-back system matches how Darren Moore organised Port Vale during the 2024/25 campaign.
In this system, Smith would usually be located in the middle of the 3 centre-backs with one centre-back to the left and right of him. If this was to occur in the Tranmere system, Nathan Smith would take up the role that Tom Davies had occupied during the season.
At the centre of defence, the 29 year old would be responsible for organising the defense and controlling the line of the defense – something he had experience doing in the Port Vale system.
Smith would also be up for contention for the captaincy having held the captaincy the last time the promotion winner and Crosby worked together at Port Vale. With his experience and suitability, this appointment can be argued to be justifable and reasonable as Tranmere try to build themselves into promotion contenders for the 2025/26 season.
So, What Do You Think?
What are your opinions on Nathan Smith joining Tranmere Rovers? Does he offer the experience required to push Tranmere towards promotion and is he one of the best defenders in League Two? Let me know in the comments.
