Newport County’s newest loan signing Kyle Hudlin was quick to sport a wry smile when asked if he was looking to make a ‘big’ impact at Rodney Parade.
It’s far from the first cheap reference to his height he’s had to endure in a career that took him from Sunday League to National League (Solihull) and the Championship (Huddersfield) in just over two years.
At 6ft 9in, Hudlin is one of the world’s tallest players in professional football. Now after loan spells at AFC Wimbledon and Burton, the amiable striker is ready to duck through doors at Rodney Parade and make a big impression on the Amber Army.
“People see me as an old-fashioned target man, which is fine,’’ he declared. “But I’d like to think I can utilise my feet as well.
“Because of my height, I get compared to Peter Crouch, which is not a bad comparison. I’ll take that,’’ he joked.
The 24-year-old received his international clearance today in time to be considered for tonight’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy tie at home to Cheltenham (7pm) having met his teammates for the first time at Spytty Park on Monday.
“I’m buzzing to get going,’’ he added. “It’s a fresh start for me; time to re-set and re-focus.
“I struggled a bit with injury after my loan at Burton last season, so now it’s time for me to get my head down and showcase my ability on an EFL platform. I was enjoying my football before the injury, but because of my stature I need regular game time to thrive. Instead, it was stop start, which didn’t suit me to maintain my game at this level.’’
Hudlin spoke to two key people before deciding to make the move from The Terriers. One of those was head coach Nelson Jardim.
“I like Newport because what they are doing in league Two is unique,’’ he pointed out. “I like the fact that the head coach is Portuguese because he’s very detailed and has a clear philosophy. I like the way he works.’’
The second influential factor in the move was Newport winger Bobby Kamwa who was a teammate of Hudlin’s at Burton.
“It was nice to see a familiar face when I arrived at the club. I spoke to Bobby as soon as there was interest from Newport. He couldn’t have spoken highly enough about the club, which really made my mind up.
“I understand the team is doing very well at the moment, so I will have to bide my time. When my opportunity comes, I need to snatch it and help the club towards its goal of promotion.’’