He departed for South Africa in December 1970 due to his son's ill health and spent five years with Hellenic, later returning to the UK with Caverswall and Lambourne.
Having failed to displace Tony Allen as left-back, Wilson left the club in November 1963 after making two top-flight appearances in 1963–64.
Wilson signed for Stoke City's rivals Port Vale in November 1963 for a £12,000 fee (in a package deal that also included Jackie Mudie).
He made 24 league appearances in 1963–64 and also played four games in the "Valiants" march to the FA Cup Fourth Round, where they took Liverpool to a replay after a goalless draw at Anfield.
Vale struggled under new manager Stanley Matthews (who was also a former teammate at Stoke) in the 1967–68 season, though Wilson played 45 games, missing just four league encounters.
[4] The club won promotion in fourth place in the 1969–70 season, with Wilson playing fifty games in an extremely consistent defence along with Sproson, Clint Boulton, and goalkeeper Keith Ball.