GOALKEEPER Joe Day admits he’s desperate to return to Newport County AFC in January after his emergency loan came to an end at the weekend.

Day is back at parent club Peterborough United this week following a superb 93-day stay at County that has helped transform the Exiles’ season.

County hadn’t won a game when the 24-year-old arrived at Rodney Parade in August to take the gloves from Lenny Pidgeley.

But he immediately kept a clean sheet in his debut win at Portsmouth and was on the losing side only once in 14 league games.

He signed off with another stellar display in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Bury and shook the hands of almost all the 160 travelling fans behind his goal after the final whistle.

“The fans were telling me ‘we want to see you back’ and I hope to be back,” he said.

“I’m in the last season of my contract at Peterborough and it’s going be frustrating if I go back and I’m not involved.

“But that is the thing with the loan window – it gives you a chance to get games.

“I’ve just got to keep myself ticking over and try to stay as sharp as possible.

“Saturday was a great win for us,” he added. “We showed great resilience at 2-1 to stay in the game and then win it 3-1 in the end.

“It’s a great way for me to finish my loan spell and I’m very happy.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club. It’s been great to get a run of games and it’s been brilliant for me.”

Exiles boss Justin Edinburgh is confident of signing Day permanently in January and the player is keen to return.

“I’m hoping that is something that can be done,” he said. “I’d be more than happy to come back here on a permanent basis. I just want to carry on playing football.

“Playing here has been thoroughly enjoyable so if I can do that here then I’d be delighted.

“I’m not sure of the status of the talks between the clubs but hopefully they are progressing well.

“I’ll learn more when I go back and hopefully they can get it sorted out quickly but I just want to concentrate on the football side of it and let the clubs worry about the rest.

“It’s been brilliant and the team has been different class with me,” he added.

“They’ve been really welcoming and that really helps when you join a club on loan.

“Fingers crosses I’ll be back in January.”