Loyalty is rarely a two-way street in football.

Fans will whine and moan when a player shows the club less loyalty and affection than they feel – we see this all the time, especially in the Premier League.

Slamming players time and again on internet forums or in the form of verbal abuse from the terraces is the prerogative of a football follower and few have copped worse this season than Newport County’s Glyn Thompson.

Never mind that he’s the longest serving member of the squad. Never mind that he stuck with the club through a disastrous first season when they were nearly relegated from the Conference South. Never mind that he was a stand out performer in helping County to a record breaking title victory and a return to the Conference.

Forget all that, because, to steal a messageboard favourite: “He’s not good enough, end of.”

The words “end of” have become the calling card of the knee-jerking drama queens of the World Wide Web and Thompson has faced plenty of stick all season. This after being treated appallingly in the summer when he was told to stay away from training because he didn’t want to sign a full-time deal.

He kept his cool and his dignity, rode out the storm and ended up back in the team, playing his part in keeping County up.

Then came the FA Trophy final and ‘DarlowGate’ where the Exiles did all they could to prove Karl Darlow’s eligibility.

At no point did anyone involved stop to worry about the message it sent to Glyn Thompson but, nonetheless, he got on with things, kept his dignity and performed to the best of his ability.

He won’t make a fuss about it, but that was almost certainly his last game after five years of impeccable service for Newport County and I for one will miss him.

He’s a quality goalkeeper and an even better bloke and any true County fan will offer the gratitude that he deserves.

In a season of genuine adversity Thompson has shown phenomenal class and he should be remembered as one of the most important Newport players of the modern era, certainly of this decade.

If this is to be goodbye, then thanks Thommo for five years of brilliant service.