AFTER the Crow took flight and left Rodney Parade, it was pleasing to see so many County fans realising just what a big legacy Danny left at Newport.

I refer of course to the departure of Danny Crow, who at 28-years old will now almost certainly call time on his professional football career and begin planning for life after playing.

The former Peterborough United and Luton Town man has penned a deal with Conference North outfit Lowestoft, but it is the option of working extensively at youth coaching that has led to Lowestoft, as one of the most intelligent players in the lower reaches of the Football League deciding to essentially put himself out to pasture.

Crow has proved a divisive figure at Newport, though in truth, I've no idea why, his exceptional win percentage in his first season as the Exiles shocked us all by winning Conference promotion should in itself be enough to ensure he remained a firm favourite.

Any ill-feeling towards Crow seemed to stem from the belief he wasn't thin enough, that he didn't look like an athlete like Chris Zebroski or Aaron O'Connor, but that entirely misses the point.

If Crow had an athletic physic and an electric turn of pace, you'd have never seen him at the County because he'd have been a Championship player at worst.

Show me a League Two player without a deficiency to their game and I'll show you a player who won't be at this level for long, Lee Evans and now Regan Poole a fine example of that.

Crow was never going to be a player to run the channels or to act as a target man, nor was he especially prolific as a striker, but his strengths were considerable.

Providing flair in a side that was more functional than exciting, providing an outlet by dragging defenders out of position, or simply working unbelievably hard and doing a great defensive shift - like at Grimsby in the play-off semi-final when he was exceptional - Crow's strength was that opposition defences rarely knew how to handle him, especially when Newport played to his strengths.

The current 3-5-2 with high pressing really doesn't suit Crow and it's a shame that he's been so peripheral for so long and absolutely right that he's leaving for pastures new.

But I think it's fair comment to assess that Newport County AFC wouldn't be in the Football League without Crow's contribution and it's great to know that the vast majority of County fans appreciate that fact.