By Terry Phillips
Striker Rhys Healey looks set to leave Newport County in January – and is likely to head North to Carlisle United or to the South coast and Plymouth Argyle.
They are the leading clubs League Two and both have expressed interest in signing Manchester-born Healey, who was playing Welsh Premier League football for Connahs Quay Nomads when the Bluebirds signed him.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock doesn’t feel Healey, 22, is ready for the Championship yet, but does want him to experience a different challenge on loan. The Bluebirds boss has made it clear he isn’t going to allow Healey to leave the club on a permanent move, but does want him playing regularly for the rest of this season.
Warnock has talked about allowing Healey to face a different challenge and play for a team challenging for promotion.
There has also been interest from League One clubs.
Healey has scored six goals in 19 appearances for Newport in his loan spell, which ends on January 2.
“Neil’s a manager who hasn’t really seen a lot of Rhys so his first priority is to do that, to have a look at the player and make decisions from there in terms of where Rhys goes,” said Newport manager Graham Westley.
“I don’t expect Rhys to be here in January, not because there’s an issue between Neil and I, which there isn’t, but because he wants to have a look at his player.
“Other clubs may have an interest if he goes back out on loan, we may have an interest if he goes back out on loan, but from our planning point of view, we know he’s here until January 2 and he’s got a lot of good reasons to perform between now and then.
“If he does perform between now and then he’ll be going back to Cardiff in a good frame of mind, he’ll be going back in a good vein of form, and he’ll be giving himself the best opportunity to prove himself to his parent club.”
Healey was among the Newport substitutes in their last match, a home fixture against Morecambe which was postponed, and is likely miss out on the starting line-up again at Crawley Town on Saturday (3pm).
Josh O’Hanlon and Marlon Jackson are expected to lead County’s attack in Sussex.
Bottom of the table Newport follow their trip to Crawley with an FA Cup replay at home against Plymouth next Wednesday. The winners will take on Liverpool away in the third round and the Exiles will hope their Rodney Parade playing surface is playable for Argyle’s visit.
