NEWPORT County AFC loan star Mark Harris has opened up about the concussion incident that has disrupted his exciting start to life at Rodney Parade.

Goals against Exeter City and Notts County in August helped the Cardiff City youngster establish himself as the regular partner for Padraig Amond up front before he was injured while playing for the Wales under-21 side.

Harris suffered concussion after a knock to the head while playing against Liechtenstein under-21s in Bangor on September 7.

The 19-year-old would have missed the Exiles’ trip to Oldham Athletic the next day anyway but he underwent a week of tests and rehab before being cleared to return for the shock 6-0 home defeat to Yeovil Town.

Since then his only start has come in the Checkatrade Trophy and he’s been restricted to late substitute appearances in the last two games as County have drawn with Macclesfield Town and Forest Green Rovers.

“I knocked myself out,” admitted Harris as he recalled the incident against Liechtenstein.

“I caught myself with my knee on the way down after going up for a header. I was a bit dazed and I had to be out for a week.

“I’d had concussion once before but not as bad as that. I couldn’t remember it at all – the last thing I remembered was being in the changing room [before the game].

“Thankfully I didn’t get any symptoms after that. I was with the physio for a full week and had all sorts of scans but nothing came back so I was able to return to training.

“I was back for the Yeovil game and that was a day to forget,” he added.

“It wasn’t one of my best games but, fair play to the lads, they bounced back straight away with the win at Tranmere.

“Since that game we’ve done really well. The players who have been starting have been excellent but we’re all playing well and we’re all pushing each other.”

Swansea-born Harris is part of a three-man west-Wales contingent at County and, despite the injury set-back, he’s happy with how his time in Newport has gone so far.

“I still live in Swansea – I travel in with Josh [Sheehan] and Jay [Foulston] each day,” he said. “We have some good banter and it’s only an hour or an hour-and-a-half max so it’s not too bad.

“I’m really enjoying it. The loan is until January and I just want to play as much as I can and get as much experience as I can.”

Harris will miss County’s home clash with Stevenage on Saturday as he again represents the under-21s in Romania on Friday evening and then against Switzerland at Rodney Parade next Tuesday (kick-off 6pm).

He’s looking forward to pulling on a Welsh shirt once again and aiming to impress Exiles boss Michael Flynn in Newport next week.

“Obviously we can’t qualify now but we’ve got two tough teams to play and they will be good tests,” he said.

“We drew against Romania in the first game, when they were very good, and we won 3-0 in Switzerland so we’ll be aiming to do that again and to go one better against Romania.

“It’ll be nice to play at Rodney Parade. Obviously I know the pitch and the stadium quite well – I’ve played a few games there – and hopefully I can get a few goals.

“The gaffer [Flynn] is going to come down and watch so it’s more time to impress him and hopefully I do that and try to get myself in the team for the game the following Saturday [at Crawley Town].”