COUNTY GALLERY

STEVE JENKINS by Ray Taylor

      Ray Taylor

Former Welsh international STEVE JENKINS took on a new role within the club this season, having joined us in October last year.  He was appointed Club Captain, and while the role is an honour for Steve, he is experienced in leading teams.

“I have captained a few teams - Huddersfield, Swindon and Notts County - so I suppose I am quite used to it.  I think I lead by example and I try to be vocal without going over the top.”

Steve has noticed great developments within the club since he joined us and feels it is part of a general progression since the appointment of the present management team.

“I think we have made massive strides and I would imagine this squad is the strongest the club has had for years.  However, I hope we can achieve something in terms of winning honours, because there is no point in having a strong squad otherwise.

“We haven’t yet produced our best form this season and that has been frustrating for the players and the fans.  In most games we have played well for 45 minutes or so but not over the whole game.

“Our home record has been solid again as I think it inevitably will be but we are looking to adjust away from home and we have talked about being solid.  We know we have the front players who will score goals and I am sure that will come.

“Several of the players have been together for a year or eighteen months or so and have settled together, while Glyn Thompson and Lee Jarman have come into the squad and settled well.”

The conversation with Steve was before Tuesday’s game at Eastleigh, but Steve has an open mind about who will be the sides to watch this season.

“There are probably six or eight clubs, including ourselves, who think they can win the league, but we have not seen anything to fear yet.  To be honest I don’t think we have had a lot of luck as yet. 

“Lewes beat us at their place but they were hanging on all through the second half and I thought we were a better side than them.  You only had to see their faces at the final whistle. 

“You’d have thought they had just won promotion!”

In his long league career, Steve also played for Swansea City, Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Peterborough United and he accumulated a total of 509 league appearances plus a further 96 in the various cup competitions for his league clubs. 

In additon the Merthyr-born defender gained international honours at youth and under-21 level, as well as representing Wales 16 times as a full international level.

At 35 he has no thought of calling it a day yet.

“I found that training full-time was taking more toll on my fitness than part-time, a couple of night s a week, as I do now.  I train on my own as well as with County and, as I feel as fit as I have been throughout my career, I haven’t set a time limit for how long I want to play.

“I moved to Monmouth a couple of years ago and I was with Worcester for a short time before I joined Newport.  I always wanted to come back and play for a Welsh club before I finished and I knew several of the players here, and had kept in touch with Bowes and Scott Young, so it’s not been difficult to settle.”

Steve has a young family and his wife Andrea has always taken a keen interest in his football career.  The couple have three daughters, Millie (aged nine), Poppy who is five and three years old Rhea.

He also follows the fortunes of his brother-in-law Richard French who attended the Hartridge Academy and was a popular figure here, memorably scoring the winning penalty in the FAW Premier Cup shoot-out against Cardiff City five seasons ago.  Richard is currently playing for Welsh Premier League newcomers Neath Athletic.

His international appearances included games against Germany, Holland and Italy and he is still a keen observer of the game at all levels.

“John Toshack is trying to develop Welsh players for the future and there has been a lot of talk about the fact that a lot of the players come from outside the Premiership.

“It is going to take time to see how they develop and whether they will prove good enough remains to be seen.  But a few months ago we did not realise we had a talent like Gareth Bale coming on the scene.

“Time will tell, but I wish him all the best.”

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