scoring six goals in 39 appearances in the 2014–15 campaign, and had to focus his time on playing rather than coaching. He lost his first team place during the 2015–16 season, but despite not playing a game for eight weeks he managed to replace a suspended Anthony Grant and play the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 win over Bury on 28 December. He was named in the Football League team of the week for his performance during a 1–0 win at Blackpool on 9 January. In May 2016, chairman Norman Smurthwaite announced that Brown would assist him in appointing a successor to departing manager Rob Page. Brown was appointed as new manager Bruno Ribeiro's assistant in June 2016; the pair had played together at Sheffield United. He picked up a knee ligament injury in pre-season which kept him out of action for the opening weeks of the 2016–17 season. In May 2017, he confirmed he would remain registered as a player so as to provide emergency cover during the 2017–18 season. International career Brown made his debut for the England under-21s in the 1–0 defeat to Croatia at Roker Park on 23 April 1996. The match was only the second time in England U21 history that none of the starting lineup went on to win senior international caps. The following month he featured in the 1996 Toulon Tournament and played in the group games against Belgium, Angola and Portugal. Managerial career Bruno Ribeiro resigned as manager of Port Vale on 26 December 2016, and Brown was placed in temporary charge. Four days later Vale recorded a 1–0 home victory over Chesterfield in Brown's first match in charge. In the January transfer window he was forced to sell goalkeeper Jak Alnwick and reigning Player of the Year Anthony Grant, whilst top-scorer Alex Jones's loan deal expired and six other players left the club; Brown brought in youngsters Callum Guy, Tyler Walker, Olamide Shodipo, Axel Prohouly and Leo Fasan on loan, and signed Scott Tanser, Chris Eagles and Danny Pugh on free transfers. However his team were dogged by injury problems, and Brown told the media that if he could keep the Vale out of the relegation zone that would be an achievement "off the scale". Having scored just one goal in their final seven games, Vale were relegated at the end of the campaign after drawing their final game 0-0