This weekend, Newport make the long journey up north to Salford City and the Peninsula Stadium. Since their promotion at the end of the 2018/19 season, Salford have been regulars in League Two, and we have had some memorable clashes with The Ammies.
Despite only being in the Football League for a few years, there have been plenty of faces over the last seasons that have lined up for both Newport County and Salford City. Let’s take a look at some of the memorable players who have swapped South Wales for Greater Manchester and vice versa.
Shane McLoughlin
Of course, we have to start with the most recent man to have traded the Peninsula Stadium for Rodney Parade, Shane McLoughlin. Our number 19 signed for us from Greater Manchester in July this year, and he has made an instant impact.
McLoughlin arrived with plenty of experience under his belt. The 26-year-old had been key to Wimbledon’s and Morecambe’s survival during their time in League One, and he was signed by Neil Wood’s Salford in January this year.
After making eight appearances for the Ammies in the second half of last season, Graham Coughlan signed him up this summer, and he has been an integral part of our team so far this season.
Tom King
It’s not very often a football player at Newport County etches their name into the Guinness Book of World Records, but that’s exactly what Tom King did during his spell at Rodney Parade in 2021.
King signed for us at the start of the 2019/20 season, having spent several years on loan at the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Welling, and Stevenage. He would go on to make 40 appearances over the course of two seasons.
He grabbed the headlines when he scored directly from a goal kick in a 1-1 draw away at Cheltenham. The goal was scored from a record-breaking 96.01 metres (105 yd), taking the previous record from Asmir Begović.
King would leave Newport at the end of that season and sign a two-year deal at Salford. He made over 50 appearances for the club before signing for Northampton. He is currently with Premier League side Wolves.
Liam Shephard
A former Newport player who is still a part of the Salford squad is defender Liam Shephard. A boy from the Rhonda Valley, Shephard came through the Swansea City Academy before going out to get some experience at Yeovil Town.
He would then spend several years at Peterborough and Forest Green before signing for the Exiles in 2020. He would play an integral role in our team through the 2020/21 campaign, lining up for us at Wembley in the play-off final against Morecambe.
His time at Rodney Parade was limited to just one season, as he would leave for Salford the following summer. Since then, he has made 44 appearances for the Ammies, hitting the net on three occasions.
You can buy tickets for Saturday's clash here.