James Clarke aims to be key man for Newport County after new deal

The 33-year-old became the first of the seven players offered contract extensions by the Exiles to say yes.

The defender, who arrived from Walsall in the summer of 2021, will be at Rodney Parade until at least 2025 and is the oldest player on the books.

With stalwarts Mickey Demetriou and Scot Bennett considering offers and Robbie Willmott and Matty Dolan already gone, Clarke’s leadership qualities were a factor in manager Graham Coughlan giving fresh terms.

Newport County manager Graham Coughlan with James Clarke (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“The gaffer said that the value I bring to the changing room goes a long way,” said the former Oxford, Salisbury, Woking, Bristol Rovers and Saddlers man, who brought up 500 career appearances earlier this year.

“After having a few injuries this season I want to be playing but I think that being offered two years shows what the gaffer thinks of me off the pitch as well, which can sometimes go under the radar.

“In my first season I was available for every game so I want to get a good pre-season and get plenty more games under my belt for the club.

“I pride myself on my fitness for my age and I think my mind is sharper than ever with respect to reading the game.”

Clarke was signed by Michael Flynn, was a mainstay of James Rowberry’s side and then was influential under Coughlan until injury disrupted his 2022/23 run-in.

He was a key component in getting back to basics as County steered away from trouble to retain their Football League status and it was a no-brainer to sign up for more to add to his 64 club appearances (61 starts).

County defender James Clarke (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“It was quite straightforward getting the contract done to be honest,” said Clarke, who is based in the Vale of Glamorgan and marries partner Danielle this week.

“They said they wanted to keep me and I said I wanted to stay; I didn’t really entertain anything else and it was a really easy conversation without any going back and forth.

“I knew where I stood around a month from the end of the season and then it was just a case of going through the process, and I trusted them because the gaffer is a man of his word.”

Coughlan and assistant manager Joe Dunne are a pair of former defenders with high standards, with Clarke relishing more of their brutal honesty.

“I love the way that him and Joe work – it’s a dream match for me,” he said. “If I make an error then there is no hiding from it.

“I don’t want mistakes to be brushed under the carpet; if you win 3-2 and that’s the end of it then there will be a stage later on when those errors will bite you in the backside.

“The gaffer addresses every defensive error and you can see that in how things turned around from the start of the season. We were so much more alert and sniffed out danger better.

“I think that we finished the season pretty strongly and now we want to take that momentum into the new one.”