Neil Aspin spent the majority of his playing career with Port Vale, reaching second-tier level
Former Port Vale defender Neil Aspin has left National League Gateshead to return to the struggling League Two club as their new manager.
Vale, who are 22nd in the fourth tier, sacked Michael Brown on 16 September.
Aspin won 39 of his 100 games as Gateshead boss in almost two years managing the Heed and made 410 appearances for Vale in 10 seasons.
Former Vale manager John Rudge will join 52-year-old Aspin at Vale Park as the club's football advisor.
Vale have played three league games since Brown departed, during which time they have picked up just one point under caretaker bosses David Kelly and Chris Morgan.
But they did win 1-0 at home to Newcastle United Under-21s in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday, Vale's first win since the opening day of the season, to end a winless 12-game run.
The Burslem-based side are five points adrift of the side above them Morecambe in League Two - and level on points with the bottom two, Forest Green Rovers and Chesterfield.
Neil Aspin began his managerial career with Harrogate Town in 2005, then had six years at Halifax Town until 2015.
Source: bbc.com