Gardner deal costs Vale dear

Port Vale have lost out on a handsome pay day following Anthony Gardner's England promotion.

The club's former chairman, Bill Bell, allowed Spurs to buy out the remaining clauses in Gardner's transfer deal because they needed the cash to survive.

Spurs paid £110,000 for the clauses in September last year - just three months before Vale went into administration. Vale could otherwise have expected to net up to £100,000 for appearances and another £300,000 if other clauses, including England caps, had been triggered.

The club's new owners, Valiant 2001, claim they were only made aware of the deal with Spurs a month ago.

Gardner, who joined Spurs for an initial £855,000 in January 2000, is set to become Vale's first home-grown player to win an England cap since Mark Chamberlain in 1984-85.

Meanwhile Spurs have extended defender Paul Konchesky's loan spell for a third month.