Matt Baker was full of pride last weekend as he celebrated a major personal milestone by reaching 100 appearances for Newport County.
The ever-reliable centre-back has enjoyed a standout season, marking his emergence as a key figure in the Exiles’ back line.
Baker played a vital role over the Easter weekend, helping County secure back-to-back clean sheets in goalless draws against MK Dons and Walsall — results that confirmed their League Two status with two games still to play.
Now in the midst of a breakthrough campaign, the 22-year-old has made 44 appearances across all competitions this season and even notched his first professional goal — a memorable header against Doncaster Rovers back in August.
Reflecting on the achievement of reaching 100 games, the former Wales Under-21 international said: “It’s a great achievement for me, and I’m really proud.
"It’s taken a lot of hard work over the last two or three years to get to this point. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates and the staff here — so it’s a really special moment.
“When you first come into the team, reaching 100 appearances feels miles away. But to be honest, it’s crept up quite quickly. At the start, it felt like something far off in the distance.
“Getting my first goal was something I was desperate for as well this season. Once that one went in, the others just followed. It’s always a great feeling to get on the scoresheet — and to be fair, they weren’t bad goals either! Hopefully I can grab another before the season ends.”
The defenders permanent move to Rodney Parade in the summer marked his third spell in South Wales, having first joined the club on loan back in January 2023.
Baker credits his steady rise this season to consistency in performance — something he has aimed to improve throughout the campaign.
“A big part of men’s football is consistency. If you can deliver solid performances every week, it puts you in a great position to keep your place and keep improving,” he admitted. “My aim this season was simple: play as many games as I could, and play them well.”
With safety now secured, Baker says the team remains fully focused on ending the season strongly: “It was massive for us to get safe with a couple of games left — that was the goal.
"But now we’ve got to make sure we don’t switch off. There are two games to go, and we want to win them both. No flip-flops just yet — we’re still working hard and looking to finish on a high.”