Defender James Clarke has revealed that "excitement" is growing within the Newport County camp as they prepare for their League Two opener against Cheltenham Town.
The Exiles are set to begin their 2024-25 campaign at the EV Charger Points Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with hopes of securing an opening day victory for the first time in three seasons.
And, following a promising pre-season under new head coach Nelson Jardim, Clarke is confident that the team is fully prepared and eager to get the season underway.
“We’re all looking forward to the new season and are ready to go,” said the new Exiles captain.
“The first game of the season is always an exciting one for us as players, as you always want to get off to a good start.
“Obviously, there’s been a lot of change this summer with a lot of players in and out, but it’s been really positive and we’ve had a good pre-season.
“The last few weeks have been really good and it’s all been tailored towards tomorrow, and everyone at the football club is just excited to get going.
“Of course, with the turnover of players this summer and the style of play we’re trying to implement here , the process is going to take time.
“I feel like we’ve implemented that style over pre-season and we’ve seen glimpse of what works and there’s been a lot of positives to take away from that.
“It’s all about taking those positives now into the first game tomorrow."
He added: “As far as expectations are concerned this season i think it's just about taking it game by game and going into every game with the ambition of winning it.
“There are ways of playing and times of playing, and that’s something that Nelson and the team are trying to implement this season.
“This season is hopefully going to be an exciting one and there is a lot of excitement in the camp.”