Aidan Stone expresses that he holds “very fond memories” after his spell at Mansfield Town as he embarks on a new challenge at Port Vale

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Ex-Mansfield Town shot-stopper Aidan Stone has signed for Port Vale ahead of the 2021/22 EFL League Two season. This article will look at the goalkeeper’s time in the professional game and what lies ahead of him.

Just like every little boy growing up, Stone was football mad and started playing the sport from a very young age as his father signed him up to a local team for the goalkeeper to continue his early development.

“I started playing football at the age of five and my dad signed me up to a local team. I just went down there and trained because I loved football.

“As I got older, I played in Saturday/Sunday League as I continued to play for fun and that’s what it is all about at that age.”

Similarly to Mansfield Town defender James Clarke, the goalkeeper also made the switch over to Burnley after not being offered a scholarship with Walsall.

“At the time, I was with Walsall’s under-16’s and was told that I was not being kept on for a scholarship.

“I signed for my local non-league team, and again, I was playing for enjoyment as I went into sixth-form for two years to study the course that was offered with the scholarship.

“In my second year at sixth-form, my school put me forward for the county team, Staffordshire County. Through playing for the county, I got through to England Schoolboys trials and it was really from there where Burnley spotted me.

“John Pepper, Burnley’s Academy manager, his brother was working for the team that I played for so that connection also really helped in me securing the move to Burnley.”

After a good two years in the Clarets’ under-23 setup, Stone reflected on his time with the club as a very positive one.

“I had a very good two years there [Burnley’s under-23’s]. I learned a lot from the goalkeepers that were there really.”

The young goalkeeper was around ex and current England internationals in Joe Hart, Tom Heaton and Nick Pope as Stone described the experiences as “unbelievable”.

“It was unbelievable. To have that interaction with them on a day-to-day basis was incredible and I was essentially learning about what their lifestyles were about and how they got to the point where they are at now in their career.

“All of them have had similar paths as they started lower down and made their way up into the top flight of English football and becoming England internationals which I hope to replicate one day.”

Experiencing a loan spell to Lancaster City during his time with the Clarets, Stone expressed that it was probably the right time to go out on loan and experience first-team football.

“When that came about, I think it was the best time for me to move out on loan. I don’t know if it was necessarily the right level and maybe I could have played higher, but at that stage of my career, it was about playing games.

“I’d played 22 times for the under-23’s at that point and it was more about experiencing men’s football and learning about how to be a footballer because players have to pay mortgages and what not and at that stage of my life I did as I lived in a bubble.”

After initial interest at the end of the 2018/19 season, the young goalkeeper sealed the move to Mansfield Town in June 2019 signing for the club alongside fellow Burnley under-23 player James Clarke.

“I think it came about at the end of the 2018/19 season [the move to Mansfield Town] after I got told that my contract would not be extended with Burnley.

“They wanted someone who could come in and compete for the number one jersey with Bobby [Olejnik] injured. Luckily, they identified me as a target and it was just the case of training, playing in the trial games and showing the best of myself.

“A week after the trial game against Port Vale, we agreed on personal terms and the move fortunately went ahead.”

Stone shared what attracted him the most to the club as he was offered a professional contract at a League Two club for the first time in his career.

“The chance to play in League Two was the main attraction really. When you are in the Academy process, your focus turns to the Premier League and wanting to reach the top level as soon as possible.

“Of course, everyone wants that dream to come true. I still do want to play in the top flight but that was highly unrealistic as I had three unbelievable senior goalkeepers ahead of me in the pecking order.

“I think the game against Oldham away at the back end of the 2018/19 season attracted me even more to the club. Even though they lost, I liked how the team played, how they approached the game and I heard many great things about the manager at the time which inevitably made my decision a hell of a lot easier.”

Bobby Olejnik and Conrad Logan are two very experienced goalkeepers at League Two level with Stone praising the pair on their achievements and how they helped him.

“It was good to train with them. They are two very experienced goalkeepers and they were rightfully ahead of me in the pecking order, but I wasn’t going to let that make me take a back step, I was there to fight for my position.

“On a day-to-day basis, we had a very good relationship with each other and we were able to have chats about each game and training session with each other which made it so much easier for me.”

Making his first appearance for the club in August 2019 in the EFL Trophy against Everton’s under-21’s, the goalkeeper described it as “simply surreal” and he would go onto make a further 27 appearances in amber and blues colours in the two seasons he spent with the Stags.

“It was my first taste of competitive games and I was able to get a lot under my belt. When I did play, I think I did well. Of course, there were games where I did better than others but that’s part of the learning curve.

“I’ll always hold fond memories of the club and especially when the team played in front of the home crowd at the One Call and the sheer roar of the fans.

“It was probably at the back end of last season where I reflected on how far I had come and sometimes I am the biggest critic of myself, but I think I did well and will always hold the memories of the Mansfield fans showing their pure passion and desire for the club with the chants or even with a simple high-five.

After numerous talks about a new contract, Stone was ultimately released from the club at the end of the 2020/21 season in what he called “an unexpected turn of events”.

Now signing for Port Vale for the 2021/22 season, the goalkeeper is making sure he is in the best shape possible as he looks to battle for a place in the starting XI at the Staffordshire outfit.

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