DAVID Pipe believes his never-say-die attitude is just what Newport County AFC need in their battle to avoid relegation from League Two.

The 33-year-old also reckons helping the Exiles beat the drop would mean as much to him as it did captaining County to play-off glory at Wembley in 2013.

Pipe returned to Newport colours for last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat by Stevenage, just a few days after re-joining the Rodney Parade outfit from Eastleigh on loan until the end of the season.

When asked about the decision to go back to the club he played more than 100 games for between 2011 and 2014, Pipe said it was a “no-brainer”.

“It’s not only me coming back to where I live and where I’ve always lived, but the predicament the club is in and, without being big headed, I think I am what the club needs regarding the fight side of it,” he said.

“Due to what happened in the past, I always wanted to come back to the club before my career was up, but I’m not here to wave goodbye, I’m here to fight.”

Reflecting on that emotional promotion to the Football League nearly four years ago and how the Exiles staying up this term would compare, Pipe added: “When the opportunity came up I said it would mean just as much as lifting that trophy at Wembley.

“To come here, maybe turn it around a little and keep us in the Football League, where we need to be, would be a massive achievement.

“For me, it’s 22 games and a massive amount of points to fight for, and we’ll fight for every point.”

Boss Graham Westley has brought a raft of fresh faces into the club during the January transfer window, while others have moved in the opposite direction.

And defender Pipe feels his experience could be crucial for the club’s newest recruits.

“I’ve just got to be myself,” he said. “I’m known for my mentality and my strength, and people seem to feed off me, so obviously I’ve got to look after myself.

“If I put myself out there in and around the training ground, and not just on a Saturday, because it’s more about the mentality day in and day out, I can take that into games.

“My aim is to do that and hopefully the boys will feed off me and we can stay up.”