He became a first-team regular under new manager Neil Aspin from December, who praised his composure and attitude. He scored three goals in 38 matches during the 2017–18 campaign and triggered a one-year extension to his contract after meeting an appearance clause. However he featured for just 16 minutes on the opening day of the 2018–19 season and new Vale manager John Askey confirmed that he would not be offering Tonge a new contract on 16 May.
He became a starting player under new manager Neil Aspin from December, who praised his composure and attitude. He scored three goals in 38 matches during the 2017–18 season and triggered a one-year extension to his contract after meeting an appearance clause. However he featured for just 16 minutes on the opening day of the 2018–19 season and new Vale manager John Askey confirmed that he would not be offering Tonge a new contract on 16 May.