Newport County defender Alton Thelwell is set to leave the club this week.
The former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back is expected to join Blue Square Premier side Kettering Town after a seven-day approach was made by the Northamptonshire club.
Thelwell has made eight appearances since arriving at Spytty Park on non-contract terms in October and was introduced as a substitute in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Lewes for what proved to be his final game in a County shirt.
Manager Dean Holdsworth said he will be disappointed to see the former England under-21 international depart.
“I’m disappointed but he was non-contract so there was nothing we could do. I’ve shaken hands with him and thanked him for what he’s done for us,” he said.
Holdsworth said he understood the player’s decision: “He wants to get back to full-time football and we can’t deny him that, but I’ve said to him we’ll be up there next year as well,” he said.
County could well be playing Kettering in the Blue Square Premier next season if their push for promotion is successful, although the Northamptonshire side – who have just taken League One’s Leeds United to a lucrative FA Cup Replay with a trip to Old Trafford at stake – have their eyes on the Football league from fourth in non-league’s top-tier.
Thelwell’s replacement is already on the way said Holdsworth, adding, “We’ll hopefully tie the deal up very quickly.”
By Alex Winter
Alex is a journalism student and edits Gloucestershire cricket blog The Shire Blog
