NEWPORT County AFC have allowed striker Joe Parker to return to his former club Gloucester City on loan once again after his recovery from injury.

The 19-year-old signed for County from Gloucester last season but remained on loan with the Tigers until May this year.

He featured in several pre-season friendlies for the Exiles in the summer but has yet to make a competitive appearance under manager Justin Edinburgh.

Parker returned to his hometown club on loan in September, making nine appearances this season and scoring once.

He has now resumed training after breaking his arm in the 3-0 win at Lowestoft last month and will be back at Gloucester until at least January 7.

Tigers manager Tim Harris, former boss and director of football at County, said: “Joe’s been doing well in training according to Justin. We need to have as many options as possible.”

A product of the Gloucester City youth system, Parker played nearly 50 times for the club despite still being a teenager before catching Edinburgh’s eye.

He won an FA Cup Player of the Round award in 2013 due to a 19-minute hat-trick against Yate Town in a 7-0 replay win.

With Aaron O’Connor and Chris Zebroski the first choice pairing up front for the Exiles, Shaun Jeffers and Christian Jolley back from loan spells and Danny Crow returning to fitness Parker faces fierce competition for a place in the match day squad.

Edinburgh feels that the player’s development will be helped by playing regularly in a familiar environment.

And Harris will be hoping Parker can score the goals to fire his side clear of the Conference North relegation zone.

They are five points adrift of safety after not having a game on Saturday and will be hoping to close the gap on the sides above them with a victory over Tamworth at Whaddon Road tonight.

Gloucester have lost their last three league games to slip to one place off the bottom of the table and also missed out on a mouth-watering FA Trophy first round tie at Bristol Rovers after they were knocked out by Bath City in a replay at Twerton Park last week.

Two goals in extra time gave the Conference South side a 3-1 win, but Harris was pleased with his side’s performance and that has given him extra belief that they can turn the corner.

“We have got a couple of games in hand and we are in touching distance.

“The bottom line is we need to win matches and if we do that we will be fine.

“If we put in the same commitment and effort as we did at Bath then I have no doubt our luck will turn.”