NEWPORT County AFC will attempt to stun a Premier League side at a raucous Rodney Parade this evening, and the novelty will never wear off for Robbie Willmott.

Southampton will become the ninth member of this season's Premier League to head to Newport in the Michael Flynn era and the experienced midfielder has taken on them all.

Stalwart Willmott has been on the field to face Leeds, Tottenham, Leicester, Manchester City, West Ham, Watford, Newcastle and Brighton.

Now he's relishing an unexpected chance to take on the Saints.

Willmott looked sure to leave Rodney Parade when he joined Exeter City on loan at the start of the year, a move that took him to the end of his contract.

The versatile midfielder was in the shop window but it was a fresh deal at Rodney Parade that came rather than a fresh start.

South Wales Argus:

"Once someone goes on loan, unless they're a young kid, you probably think your time is up," admitted Willmott.

"I've been given another opportunity to play for the club and that's one I'm very grateful getting.

"I left purely for football reasons, I wasn't playing and I didn't want to just sit on my contract until the end of the season.

"Like most footballers out there I've got a young family and I needed to earn a contract for next year and I couldn't be sitting on the bench so I wanted to go and do that.

"I probably needed time away, just to freshen up, and I've come back and I feel fresh in the mind and fresh in the body.

"It was time away that was needed. I'm putting in good performances now and it goes to show it was worth doing."

It still led to a period of uncertainty after Willmott had missed out on the play-offs with Exeter.

He watched on as County suffered an agonising and controversial defeat to Morecambe at Wembley not knowing that he would be a member of Flynn's squad that would be going for promotion again in 2021/22.

"I didn't really know what was going to happen," he said. "I watched the game with my family and we were cheering the team on, they didn't get the result and it was heart-breaking.

"I just had to wait and see what the decision was from the club and luckily I've got another opportunity.

"I am over 250 appearances now and just want to keep going now and hopefully stay here for many more years."

South Wales Argus:

Perhaps it is because he is a stalwart, but Willmott can be taken for granted and his strong performances can go under the radar.

The 31-year-old has made a bright start to the season, scoring against Mansfield and featuring prominently thanks to his positional intelligence.

"I've come back and been given a lot of freedom to play and make things happen further up the field," he said.

"A lot of people have been saying that I am playing central midfield but I have freedom to play there and out wide. At Oldham in the second half I played for the majority down the left, at Tranmere it was down the right.

"I have to see how the game pans out and where I can get most joy, but I have to work off teammates and it's not just me getting freedom. I can fill in more of a defensive role as well."

County will hope that he is creating chances rather than plugging gaps against the Saints this evening.