NEWPORT County AFC are confident of signing former Liverpool goalkeeper Jamie Stephens after rejecting local lad Calum Antell.

Stephens and Ebbw Vale-born stopper Antell have both been training with the County squad over the past week as manager Justin Edinburgh searches for a deputy for number one Lenny Pidgeley.

The Exiles boss informed Antell on Tuesday that he would not be offered a contract and has instead opted for 19-year-old Stephens, who finished last season on loan at Airbus UK Broughton in the Welsh Premier League.

Edinburgh hopes to persuade the highly rated young goalkeeper to sign a contract over the next few days.

Stephens was signed for Liverpool by Rafa Benitez in April 2010, having built up a reputation as one of the country’s most promising young goalkeepers at Swindon Town, where he was a teammate of Antell.

The Gloucestershire-born teenager, who turns 20 in August, had to wait until the 2010-11 season to make his mark on the Reds’ under-18s side, playing 14 league games and also making an appearance for the reserves that season.

He was awarded the Barclays Premier Academy League Save of the Season award for the 2010-11 season for a stop in an away win at Manchester United.

Stephens was a regular for Liverpool reserves in 2011/12 before being loaned out to Airbus in north Wales in January this year and he was released by the Premier League giants in May.

Antell, who has spent the last few years at Scottish Premier League outfit Hibernian, has now returned north for a trial with Cowdenbeath.

Meanwhile, the Football League has announced that County are one of 16 teams to be given a bye into round two of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The draw for round one of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy will be made on Saturday, August 17, live on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM programme.

It will be split into north and south sections with the round one ties to be played during the week starting September 2 but County will not be involved until round two in the week beginning October 7.

Crawley Town, Oxford United, Swindon Town, Coventry City, Peterborough United, Southend United and Stevenage join the Exiles in receiving a bye from the southern section.

  • Tickets for County’s friendly match against Aston Villa at Rodney Parade on Sunday, July 28, are now on sale at www.newport-county.co.uk