North West Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim hopes Swansea City will be back on the “right track” as a result of an ownership change.

Majority owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan are in the process of selling their stake in Swansea City to fellow shareholders Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt and Nigel Morris, along with businessman Jason Cohen.

Jardim had a long association with the Swans as a coach, first joining the club in 2009 under Paulo Sousa.

He subsequently re-joined the club in 2017 as a lead academy coach and then first team coach under Francesco Guidolin, Paul Clement and Carlos Carvahal.

Now Jardim hopes the ownership alteration and possible extra finance from the change, will strengthen a club about which he still has strong feelings.

“The club is important for the city and the country and hopefully they will find that right track, because Swansea belongs to the Premier League and hopefully they will go back," said Jardim.

Jardim recalled he first met Levien and Kaplan who bought a 68% stake in Swansea, then a Premier League club, in 2016.

“I got to know them for the first time in Washington, during a pre-season when Guidolin was there. They were great to us, fantastic, with big projects for the club. They were very focussed and very good to us.”

Portuguese coach Jardim now devotes his full focus to his first managerial role, with Newport County, under former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins.

But he still has strong feelings for the Championship outfit which he left to join Aitor Karanka’s Birmingham City in 2020.

“I don’t hide my feelings. The club is close to my heart because of my past good years there.

"It is such a big club and and important club for me and my family.”

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Senior duo Aaron Wildig and Bryn Morris are set to give Newport County a double boost for their League Two trip to Tranmere, on Saturday.

Morris missed last Saturday’s FA Cup exit at the hands of League One Peterborough United with a knock, while captain Wildig was on the bench against Posh but could not play any part because of ongoing back problems.

But both are ready and available to face Tranmere as Newport head coach Nelson Jardim weighs up his options for the clash at Prenton Park.

Jardim said: “Bryn is that character, that senior player who is experienced and knows the league very well and obviously is one of the good players in this squad. Having him on the pitch is good but he brings other things, too.

“Aaron is a leader and captain of this club and I have mentioned before, he leads by example on the pitch. Both of them are massive for us, but so are all the others.

" It’s not all about players and one or two people it’s about the squad and the club, it’s about everyone being involved and engaged.”

Striker Hamzad Kargbo is still sidelined by a shoulder problem and though defender Shane McLoughlin returned from injury to the bench against Peterborough, he is still short of full fitness.

Jardim said: “Shane in the final process. He is fit but needs to get that final bit where he can give us that confidence, that he is not going to get injured again.”

Its possible McLoughlin will more likely feature in Tuesday’s Bristol Street Motors Football League Trophy tie at Reading.

But with the availability of Morris and Wildig, there will be more midfield options for Jardim as Newport, currently standing 14th in the table, resume their League Two programme against a side five points and five places below them.

Before their cup demise, Newport had kept two clean sheets with a win at Gillingham and a hard fought goalless draw at home to Fleetwood.

Now in the wake of their cup disappointment, Jardim said: “It all about bouncing back. Last week we were disappointed and frustrated not to get something out of the game.

“But we have to focus on what we have done well and we have done a lot of good things”

Image source, Getty Images

Matty James says he jumped at the chance to join Wrexham after admitting he was desperate to return to football.

James, 33, had been without a club after being released by Championship Bristol City in the summer but joined Phil Parkinson's side on a short-term deal until January last month.

The former Manchester United and Leicester City midfielder confirmed he held talks with the north Wales club following his departure from Ashton Gate, and says he is now relishing to be a part of the Wrexham project.

"It came out of the blue really," he said of his move to the Stok Racecourse.

"We had a conversation in the summer and it didn't quite happen. I had one or two other little bits that then didn't happen after that.

"I just received a phone call asking if I'd come in and train and I jumped at the opportunity because of where I was at in my own situation.

"I was desperate to be involved in football again, and with it being Wrexham and where the club is, the ambition, anybody would jump at that opportunity.

"Everybody knows where the club is and where it's going and what it wants to achieve.

"I think there'll be numerous players out there that would want to be playing for Wrexham, in terms of players who are playing for other clubs now I'm guessing. I'm just really happy to be part of it."

James featured 43 times in all competitions for Bristol City during the 2023-24 season, scoring three goals.

The midfielder was an unused substitute for Wrexham's matches at Charlton Athletic and Harrogate Town.