CHESTERFIELD have appointed Jack Lester as their new manager.

Lester is well known at the Proact Stadium after enjoying a six-year spell with the club as a player.

In that time, the 41-year-old scored a total of 94 goals in nearly 200 appearances.

Lester arrives at the club after managing Nottingham Forest’s U18 side.

Port Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite says he has narrowed his search for a new manager down to three ‘exceptional’ candidates.

The Valiants are searching for a replacement for Michael Brown who was sacked on September 16 with the club bottom of the Football League.

Chris Morgan and David Kelly have taken over on a caretaker basis since then and have moved the Valiants up to third from bottom.

Smurthwaite took to Twitter on Thursday to say one of his three final candidates will get the job.

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan is keen to keep in-form Jorge Grant when the on-loan Nottingham Forest midfielder’s deal with the League Two club comes up for renewal in January.

Grant, a hit with Notts in the second half of last season, returned to Meadow Lane on a season-long loan in July.

But Nolan has confirmed that there is a release clause in his contract which can be activated in January.