NEWPORT County striker Shaun Jeffers has had a taste of life outside the Football League... and that’s quite enough for him, writes Michael Pearlman.

The 22-year old striker joined the Exiles in January as a makeweight in the deal that took Conor Washington to London Road and League One Peterborough United.

However, despite being highly-rated by boss Justin Edinburgh, Jeffers has seen his first team opportunities at Rodney Parade limited, scoring just the once for the Exiles this term, at Reading in the Capital One Cup.

Being a peripheral figure was doing little for development and so Edinburgh sent Jeffers to Brackley Town in the Vanarama Conference North, where he scored three times in five games (against Rushden, Oxford City and a league winner against Lowestoft) and received rave reviews.

Indeed, so impressive has Jeffers’ form been, that Edinburgh opted to bring him back and allow loanees James Loveridge and Joe Pigott to return to their parent clubs.

“Shauny Jeffers we’ve had good reports on, he’s gone away and got some men’s football and he’s come back looking strong and I feel is a like-for-like swap into the squad with James Loveridge,” Edinburgh told the Argus.

“Shaun did everything we asked of him and got among the goals as well.”

Jeffers admits he’s benefitted from his stint in football’s joint-sixth tier, but has no desire to head back any time quickly.

“Brackley was a good experience for me, I needed games and a better understanding (of physical football) and I think I got that,” he said.

“I got five or six games, 90 minutes’ as well and I feel fit and firing, I’ve been clattered by some big lads in non-league, it’s more about brute strength and I thought I did well and I’m better for the experience.

“I know the gaffer has faith in me, I went out knowing I’d be back and I was still training with Newport, it was just about learning and getting better for the experience of regular games.

“But I feel confident, you learn playing senior football, pick up a few little tricks and now my aim is simple, get into the team and stay there. I just want to bring my form at Brackley back to Newport with me.

“But I won’t be rushing to get back to being kicked all over the place, it just makes me more determined to be a success here.”