I can’t remember a stage in my playing career where I chose sitting on my backside to getting out there and kicking a football, says Newport County boss

Westley added 12 new players to his squad in January and also signed key midfielder Josh Sheehan on a new loan deal from Swansea City, with 10 heading out of the door at Rodney Parade.

But he was frustrated in his efforts to bring in further reinforcements before Tuesday’s transfer deadline day.

The Exiles boss had warned that the likes of Ben Tozer (below), Jack Compton and Mark Randall would have to leave the club before any more players could come in.

But, despite having offers on the table from other clubs, all three have opted to remain.

And Westley, who is still interested in signing free agents, says the trio won’t play for the club again.

“I wish I could have done more but it wasn’t possible,” said Westley.

“We had things lined up on deadline day but, as I’d said, players needed to go out for [more] players to come in and players wouldn’t go.

“I don’t understand it. I couldn’t stand being a professional footballer and not playing football.

“It just wouldn’t work for me one little bit. I can’t remember a stage in my playing career where I chose sitting on my backside to getting out there and kicking a football but we’re all different.”

Tozer, Compton (below) and Randall will not be training with the first team squad between now and the end of the season and will not be considered for selection.

“I’ve made it very clear what people’s futures are,” said the manager. “You have to be clear with people.

“If you make your mind up as a manager and say ‘you’re not for me, it’s not going to work – find yourself somewhere else to go’ or a player says to me ‘this club or this region is not for me, I want to move on’ then that’s fine.

“But at that point in time you agree to part company and you make plans for something different.

“If I was a footballer I’d want to pull my boots on and get out there and play football because I love the game.

“I don’t get it, I don’t understand it,” he added. “I think there’s almost like a responsibility on a player to make a move.

“Nobody is going to dictate the move. If a player wants to go to club A, B or C and the money is right that’s fine.

“There were options and people have preferred to stay put, even though in certain instances the player (such as Randall, below) is the one driving the agenda.”

Westley says he even offered certain players the option of a financial settlement to tear up their contract.

“I offered for that to happen but we are where we are,” he said.

“I don’t get it but it is what it is and there’s no way back.

“That was never going to be an option. We’ve moved on and we’re in a different place doing different things with different people.”

But there could still be more new faces at Rodney Parade before the end of the season.

“It’s obviously disappointing that we couldn’t add one or two [more] to the squad [on deadline day],” said Westley.

“I wanted to add depth in certain areas and luckily I’ve been able to make some alternative plans.

“There’s still one or two out of contract players that are out there so I’ve got one or two irons in the fire.

“That’s why I didn’t go in and panic last minute and do something young or cheap.

“I bided my time and just kept one or two irons in the fire alive.”