Port Vale hit the jackpot with Huddersfield Town transfer agreement: View | OneFootball

Back in January 2022 a Port Vale side hoping to break into the League Two play-off picture needed a striker and turned to a tricky teenager with just 18 minutes of first-team experience.

Kian Harratt was at Huddersfield Town but had played just once for the Terriers, coming off the bench as a 17-year-old against Leeds United in December 2019.

However, he was impressing for the Huddersfield B team, with 16 goals in 15 starts, and caught the eye of Port Vale's director of football David Flitcroft.

Flitcroft, overseeing his first January transfer window, clearly impressed the Terriers staff with his knowledge and scouting of the player, with Huddersfield's head of football operations Leigh Bromby telling his club's website: “We’re really excited about this loan for Kian.

"Port Vale put a lot of time and effort into making this loan happen, and it was clear from our conversations how much they wanted the player and the role they envisage for him. That makes a huge difference – the Club has to be right if we are going to send any of our talented young players out, as you are entrusting them with his development."

Dream debut with a Brentford beauty

Within 24 hours of arriving at Vale Park, Harratt was thrust into first-team action - his first for more than two years - coming off the bench in an FA Cup third round tie at home to Premier League side Brentford.

Despite a gutsy performance, Vale found themselves 2-0 down but the introduction of Harratt lifted the mood at Vale Park and within minutes the youngster had the stadium rocking, burying a sublime diving header to reduce the arrears.

Vale continued to threaten in one of the best home atmospheres at Vale Park in years but eventually ran out of steam and succumbed to a Bryan Mbuemo-inspired Brentford 4-1.

Key goals see teenager get Wembley start

Despite Vale hitting some indifferent form after the closing of the January transfer window - a trait they would repeat for the following two seasons - Harratt proved an undoubted success.

He scored on his league debut for the Valiants, a 3-1 defeat to Swindon Town, with the goal being voted Vale's Goal of the Month, and also picked up the Player of the Month award.

Then crucially, Harratt came off the bench against Mansfield Town to score twice late on and give Port Vale a 3-1 victory against their promotion-seeking rivals, with the BBC describing his introduction as "the turning point".

Harratt had well and truly earned his place in the Port Vale team for their biggest game in years - the League Two play-off final, again against Mansfield, and he did not disappoint.

Firstly, he sent an effort crashing off the post, before another diving header put Vale in front, sending thousands of Valiants delirious. He was unlucky to have another ruled out for offside.

In his match review, The Sentinel's Mike Baggaley said of Harratt: "He never gave the Mansfield defence a moment’s peace...the Stags defence couldn’t handle him."

But unfortunately for Port Vale fans, Harratt's Wembley date would be the last time they would see him in a Vale shirt.

Harratt Bradford-bound despite Vale striker shortage

Just five days after helping secure promotion to League One, Harratt found himself back in League Two, joining Bradford City on loan.

It was a move that surprised many Vale fans who hoped that Harratt would extend his stay. Indeed, despite their promotion to League One, thet found themselves short of strikers, starting the season with Jamie Proctor and 17-year-old attacking midfielder Tommy McDermott leading the line.

Harratt had little success at Bradford, receiving a sending-off on debut, and then receiving a criminal conviction for hare-coursing which resulted in his loan being instantly terminated.

His next success came in April 2023, scoring a crucial goal for parent club Huddersfield against Watford that lifted his club out of the relegation zone. Manager Neil Warnock told BBC Radio Leeds: "You see the young kid (Kian Harratt) come in. He'd done ever so well in training and I was desperate to get him on the bench. He's a genuine kid and will have dreamt about days like this. He's going home tonight feeling 10 feet tall, and it was a great header."

However, Harratt found himself in further trouble in February this year, receiving a four-month ban from all football after admitting to placing 484 bets on football matches, some involving his team, although not when he was playing.

With Harratt's ban set to end this summer, some Vale fans will be wondering whether they club could repeat a move for the forward, who was well-liked and a rare transfer success story, as they brace themselves for a return to League Two.