NEWPORT County AFC legend Padraig Amond has left the club to join League Two rivals Exeter City.

The 33-year-old striker has moved to the Grecians on loan from the Exiles for the rest of the season, when his Rodney Parade contract expires.

Amond moved to County in 2017 and has been top scorer in all of his campaigns in Wales.

However, manager Michael Flynn has brought opted to go with other attacking options for the 2021/22 campaign and the Irishman has made the move to St James Park.

“It's a really, really good club and has been for a number of years,” said Amond. “I am hoping that i can come here and make an impact straight away.

“It all happened quite quickly but it was quite clear things weren't going to happen at Newport for me. I knew it was a really good opportunity coming to a club that is always there or thereabouts.

“They have a great reputation of bringing through young players and hopefully my experience can help bring along a couple of players and help the club get promoted.

“I spoke to Robbie who was here last year and he had great things to say about the club. It was a no-brainer.

“I am really excited to get going, if they can create chances and I can get on the end of them then hopefully the club will go well.”

Amond was left out of a matchday squad for the first time since January 2020 for the League Two opener at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

Flynn went with Lewis Collins and Jermain Hylton up front with goalscorer Kevin Ellison, loanee Timmy Abraham and targetman Jordan Greenidge as his attacking options from the bench.

Forward Courtney Baker-Richardson would have featured were it not for injury.

Hylton, Abraham, Greenidge and Baker Richardson were all signed in the summer despite Amond and Dom Telford being under contract.

Amond was overlooked at Boundary Park after not featuring in the final pre-season friendly against Cardiff City and his last County appearance was the Wembley play-off final defeat to Morecambe, a sad end to a majestic spell in Newport.

He arrived from Hartlepool and racked up 200 appearances for the club, scoring against Leicester, Middlesbrough and Manchester City in the FA Cup run of 2019 a year after his goal had come agonisingly close to knocking out Tottenham Hotspur at Rodney Parade.

Last season was a disappointing one by Amond's high standards, even if he finished as top scorer.

He played 54 games and scored just nine times in all competitions, with his solitary goal of 2021 coming against Colchester in March.

Nonetheless, Amond will go down as a County legend and will add firepower to an Exeter side who narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season after being beaten finalists in 2020.

The forward will not be eligible when the Exiles travel to Devon in October and host the Grecians in April.