Kosovo-born striker Flo Bojaj has signed for Newport County on loan from Championship club Huddersfield Town.
The 20-year-old is manager Graham Westley’s seventh signing in January, following Aaron Williams, Jaanai Gordon, Sid Nelson, David Pipe, Mark O’Brien and Craig Reid.
Bojaj has joined County until the end of this season and Westley says: “Flo was appearing in the Championship last season and came to our attention when doing so.
“He offers something different to our current forward options as a strong left-footed technical talent, and joins us until the end of the season to bring his excellent all-round game and creative talents to our team.”
Six players have left Newport so far this month with seven joining League Two’s bottom club. The Exiles are five points adrift at the bottom of League Two and have lost eight successive matches.
They play Colchester United at home this Saturday (3pm).
Those who have moved on from Newport are Rhys Healey, now back with Cardiff City after a loan spell, plus Reece Grego-Cox, Kyle Cameron, Josh Green, Josh O’Hanlon and Jack Jebb.
Bojaj only spent one year living in the then war-torn country of Kosovo before moving to Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, but he returns every year to visit family and his patriotism is clear.
The player signed for Huddersfield just before the 2013-14 season after a trial spell with Borehamwood Youth.
He has made eight substitute appearances in the Championship, scoring in a 3-1 home win over Reading last March.
Bojaj spent the first half of this on loan at Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership, where he made three starts and came off the bench twice.
His Huddersfield contract expires at the end of the season. but the Yorkshire club have an option of a 12-month extension.
Bajaj has played for Albania at under-17 and under-19 levels, while he also qualifies for Kosovo.
They are newly recognised as a UEFA and FIFA nation and therefore able to compete for qualification to future European Championships and World Cups.
“I’ve played for Albania at Under-19 level but I was born in Kosovo,” says Bojaj. “
“If I had the choice I’d probably go for Kosovo because I was born there. I was cheering on Albania in the Euros though.
“It was the first goal we’d scored in a major tournament.
“I’ve kept an eye on Kosovo trying to be recognised by the governing bodies the whole way along. I probably want to play for them more because it’s where I was born and where my family live.”
“I’d choose to play for Kosovo because I have that emotional attachment and I want to make the people proud.”
