NEWPORT County AFC have confirmed that left-back Vashon Neufville has returned to West Ham United.
Neufville joined the Exiles in January in a loan deal that was due to run until the end of the season, but his stay at Rodney Parade gas been cut short.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a whirlwind start to his County career as he was parachuted straight into the starting XI to replace the suspended Dan Butler for January’s FA Cup third-round clash with Leicester City.
Neufville played the full 90 minutes against the Foxes and it was his cross that led to a handball from Marc Albrighton and allowed Padraig Amond to score the winner from the penalty spot as Michael Flynn’s men secured a famous victory over the former Premier League champions.
“It was a crazy experience,” he said. “The crowd was amazing and it was a good feeling when my cross led to the penalty. I’ve watched it on the iPlayer a few times!
“It was a good game to start off with. We made history and it doesn’t get much better than that."
But the former England under-17 international made just one more appearance for the club – in the 3-0 defeat at Grimsby Town on February 2.
He hasn’t featured in the matchday squad since then as Butler continues to excel at left-back and left wing-back.
He now returns to the Hammers, but reports this week suggest that he will be released by the Premier League outfit this summer.
Neufville is out of contract at West Ham this summer and the club have opted against offering him a new deal, according to footballinsider247.com.
The highly-rated defender joined West Ham as a 14-year-old from London rivals Chelsea and, although he showed plenty of signs of promise, he has been unable to break into the first-team at the London Stadium.
The closest Neufville came to making a first-team appearance was when he was named on the bench for the FA Cup tie with Shrewsbury Town in January 2018.
Read more: Why the Exiles deserve plaudits for looking after 'lucky' Franks
Read more: Josh Sheehan not thinking about his County future
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel