Newport County AFC are delighted to announce the signing of experienced striker Jon Parkin on a one-year deal.
The thirty-four-year-old striker joins the Exiles ahead of the start of the upcoming season and will add to Manager Warren Feeney's attacking options, as the Club continues to assess the injury picked up by Lenell John-Lewis in our pre-season fixture against Caldicot Town.
Born in Yorkshire, Jon began his playing career at Barnsley, where he made his first-team debut at the age of seventeen. Jon moved to York City in League Two for two seasons in 2002, before joining Macclesfield Town, where the striker scored an impressive twenty-six goals during the 2004-05 season.
Jon made the step up to the Championship with Hull City in January 2006 and continued to score goals at a higher level, and joined Stoke on loan before signing permanently for the Potters in 2007.
Jon joined Preston North End at the start of the 2008-09 season, spending two-and-a-half years at Deepdale, scoring 31 goals in all competitions, ahead of a move to Cardiff City in January 2011.
From Cardiff, Jon moved to Fleetwood Town and scored a further 22 goals over his two season spell with the club.
The striker joins the Exiles after spending the past two seasons with Forest Green Rovers, where Jon continued his impressive goal return by scoring thirty-eight goals in over eighty appearances.
Speaking about his move to Rodney Parade, Jon insisted that he is motivated to score goals again at this level and is excited about his return to the Football League.
“I’m delighted to have signed for Newport County AFC,” said the striker.
“The move was all sorted out really quickly which is always pleasing. Straight after speaking with Warren I was interested in signing here and I’m glad that we have managed to get everything signed and over the line.”
“Returning to the Football League was a big bonus for me because I wanted at least another season at this level to challenge myself and hopefully I can score plenty of goals for the team.”
Manager Warren Feeney added, "Jon is another signing that will help the team tremendously, because of the experience he brings to the squad."
"Jon has scored goals at every level he has played and his goalscoring record speaks for itself and I believe we have players in the squad here that can create goalscoring chances for him."
"He obviously will miss the first three games due to suspension, but with the way the fixtures are scheduled it means that Jon will only miss the first week of the season."
"Jon compliments well with the players that we have already bought in over the pre-season and I'm very much looking forward to working with him.”