DAVID Pipe would enjoy nothing more than to reminisce about his first spell with Newport County AFC – but right now it is all about the present rather than the past for the former skipper.

It was under Pipe’s captaincy that County secured promotion to the Football League in May 2013 with a famous play-off final victory over Wrexham.

His original three-season stint as an Exiles player came to an end less than 12 months after he led the team to that historic Wembley win.

But, following a stint at Forest Green Rovers and subsequent move to Eastleigh, Pipe, 33, is back in amber after returning on loan last week.

With Graham Westley’s men five points adrift of safety at the bottom of League Two, Pipe knows it is all about survival over the course of the remaining 22 games.

“I could talk all day about my connection with the club and the past, but without sounding too brutally honest, I’ve come here to deal with the situation now,” he said.

“There will always be that massive connection with what we achieved and it will be spoken about for years to come, but it’s all about now.

“It’s all about coming here and fighting to keep us in the league.

“I could have sat at Eastleigh and picked up my money but that’s not me, I’ve never been like that and I never will be.

“As far as I’m concerned Newport is my home club and coming back was a no-brainer, and if they wanted me to come here and fight then that’s what I will do.

“I’m as fit as ever and age is just a number for me. I don’t look after myself the way I do to not be able to give 100% on that pitch every time.

“If people want to question that it’s up to them but I like proving people wrong.”

Pipe, like his boss, felt there were positives to take from last Saturday’s 3-1 reverse at Stevenage.

“There is a lot of ability (in the squad) but I think we need to be stronger mentally,” he added.

“We showed that in the second half of the second half (against Stevenage) and could have easily crumbled.

“I’ve been in teams that have crumbled when we’ve been 3-0 down. Heads can drop but I don’t think we did that.

“To get a goal back and maybe another one in the scramble towards the end means there are obviously positives to take out of it.

“The goals (we conceded) were soft as far as I’m concerned. Obviously, you don’t want to lose 3-1, but at the same time you can take away positives from the second half.”