Midfield dynamo Sammy Braybrooke has sent a Christmas message to parent club Leicester City, declaring, " I love it at Newport and would like to stay here on loan."
Blonde-haired Braybrooke's fighting spirit has come to the fore in recent battles, the former England U-18 and U-19 skipper ready to stand at his Exile team-mates' shoulders to beat back the spectre of darkness in the League Two dungeon.
The schemer, 21, a buzzing nuisance to a promotion-seeking Crewe side held 2-2 by County at the Mornflake Staddium last Wednesday, has now racked up 18 professional appearances in Gwent. This, a joyful time for the Leicester-born star, devastated by a Anterior Cruciate ligament injury 20 months back, robbing him of expanding his flourishing England adventure.
Destined for stardom, Braybrook had already skippered The Three Lions at U-18 AND U-19 level, before getting capped for the U-20s. Many saw him as the new James Maddison, although there were obvious traits of Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi in his game.
Grounded Braybrook is not one to look back, but does acknowledge the past benefit of a higher-standard youngster going out on loan - ex-England icons Sir David Beckham having a stop at Preston, from then Manchester United, and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard a period on loan at Swansea City in the Nineties.
England captain Harry Kane scored his early goals away from first club Tottenham at Leyton Orient.
Now Braybrooke is finding industrial experience at Newport, the seat of learning for Arsenal's Ben White and Bournemouth's £50m-rated attacker Antoine Semenyo both benefited being sent to County from old clubs Brighton and Bristol City respectively.
Reflected Braybrooke, "Yes, it's all about playing, and that is what I am doing here. The players and staff have been so welcoming from day one. I love it at Newport.
"It was hard for me to adapt at first, of course. The past injury I had [ACL] was very tough for me to deal with. I needed to find my flow again and that is what I am doing here..
"For the first time in a long while I do feel I am back. The demands physically on me initially was hard, but now my touch is returning."
Asked if he wished to extend his loan at County into the New Year, Braybrook said, "I'd love to stay. I am enjoying my football at Newport, all I want to do is play football."
Exile boss Christian Fuchs, a Premier League and an FA Cup winner at Leicester between 2015-2021, has clearly forged a deep understanding with Braybrooke and is currently negotiating an extension of the linkman's loan until the end of this season.
Although guarded he said, "Obviously, I have a relationship with Leicester, so we'll see what can be done."
Where financially possible, Fuchs will shuffle his squad in January, but all-action Braybrooke is a cornerstone in any foundation for former Austrian international skipper Fuchs.
"I am not the most physical of players, so I need to compensate for that by enhancing my other qualities," reflected an honest Braybrooke, adding, "I need to add goals to my game, I am very conscious of this."
Braybrooke feels the County squad is thriving under the new Fuchs-Mark Smith management strategy.
He said, "They have brought in a fresh energy. We are seeing a different way of working. We haven't clicked properly yet. But all the signs of improvement are there."
