County keeper Townsend turns down international call

Goalkeeper Nick Townsend has turned down international action this week to stay with Newport County for their League Two campaign.

Townsend, 30, has decided to stay at home rather than add to his 11 caps with Antigua and Barbuda.

Newport head coach Nelson Jardim confirmed: “Nick has decided not to go.

"We always leave that down to the players. He has done that in the past, he has decided not to go for the good of the team, so we have one more option."

Solihull-born Townsend qualifies for Antigua and Barbuda through his grandfather. Because of names missing on birth certificates, it took four years to prove his eligibility and involved DNA tests to establish his heritage.

He made his Antigua and Barbuda debut against Barbados in 2022 and also rejected an international call last term in order to retain his place in the Exiles team.

Townsend played for the Benna Boys last month, as they suffered successive 5-0 defeats at the hands of the Dominican Republic in the CONCACAF Nations League.

In this international break, Townsend will miss Nations League games in Bermuda on Saturday and at home to Dominica on Tuesday, 19 January.

Townsend is the undoubted number one at Newport, ahead of 23-year-old Jacob Carney.

It will be a big boost for Jardim to have the former Birmingham City stopper for Saturday’s League Two home game against Grimsby Town.

After an encouraging start to the campaign, Newport have won just one out of their last six League Two encounters, losing 2-1 at Tranmere last Saturday.

Townsend is also available for Tuesday night’s Bristol Street Motors EFL Trophy game at Reading.