NEWPORT County boss Justin Edinburgh has admitted Darcy Blake risks “wasting his talent,” if he doesn’t get a deal done with the Exiles.

The Argus revealed exclusively yesterday that the former Wales international is set for a second spell with the club after Andrew Hughes suffered a season ending knee injury.

Free agent Blake played eight games for County last term after being released by Crystal Palace, but left in the summer in pursuit of better terms elsewhere.

That failed to materialise and Blake has been a free agent this term, even turning out for the Tredegar Arms pub in the North Gwent League as well as failing to earn a deal after a trial with Plymouth.

However, Blake has resumed training with the Exiles and has also been doubling up by doing fitness session in Newport’s St Joseph’s boxing gym.

And Edinburgh admits he’s ready to offer Blake another chance at career redemption due to his qualities.

“There is a good chance for Darcy here with us, we’ve invited him back and he’s done two days of training and nothing can be done until January, but we are keen to do something.

“Considering the fact he hasn’t played, Darcy is in good condition and will be with us now and if we can find an ideal replacemant for Andrew Hughes, we certainly have one in Darcy Blake.

“He was a top drawer player for us last season and rekindling it was an easy decision for me to make.”

Edinburgh has never had a problem taking on players with perceived baggage and insists Blake has been badly advised in his career as opposed to being a bad apple, though admits he’s heading towards the last chance saloon.

“I don’t mind that (a player with baggage) in football or life in general, we all make mistakes and it’s how you overcome them,” he said.

“Somewhere along the way Darcy has been badly advised and lost his way, under our roof he was a top pro and we’d like to see him again in a Newport shirt.

“For him to not be playing would be a waste of talent and some of these young players today are listening to the wrong people I think, they put their careers in the hands of other people and have them pulling their strings.

“They get wrongly advised and suddenly other doors close on them and people are left in the wilderness.

“It would be a damn waste and a shame for Darcy to waste the talent he has and not get back in the professional game and to a standard where his performances belong.

“It’s a no-brainer for us and hopefully will come off and we will get him playing again. We needed to move quickly in the summer and the door closed on Darcy, but now his and our circumstances are totally different and it makes sense.”