What Newport County fans can expect from new signing Priestley Farquharson

Newport County have recruited defender Priestley Farquharson from the Connah’s Quay Nomads.

After two years at Deeside Stadium, in a spell which saw him claim the top prize in Welsh football, Farquharson is deservedly moving into the professional game.

The 23-year-old, who had six months left on his contract is moving to Newport County in the midst of a promotion battle.

His departure leaves a considerable gap in the Nomads’ defence who may rue his departure but will wish him well following his contribution to the club.

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What can Exiles fans expect from Farquharson? Describe him as a player

Farquharson is a reliable centre-back who can also play as a forward, should your team be chasing a goal.

A fine example of Farquharson’s attacking ability to work as a forward is in their 2-1 victory over Cardiff Met at Cyncoed Campus this season.

With his side chasing an equaliser, Andy Morrison deployed him as a forward in the absence of Michael Wilde. It was a decision which paid off as he used his aerial ability to equalise for his side, leaping highest to score a header.

His goalscoring ability is there for everyone to see, the defender has three goals for the Nomads this season, including a brace against Caernarfon Town.

Most importantly, he will be judged on his defensive attributes and he is a defender which is a highly thought of in the Welsh domestic scene.

In his 15 league outings this season, he has kept five clean sheets, highlighting his reliability at the back.

The Nomads have a reputation for being a physical side but Farquharson is a comfortable ball-carrying defender and likes to get the ball forward.

Before joining the Nomads, Farquharson was well known for being an England international at Beach Soccer.

The environment may have been different but it was clear he had transferrable skills from the beach to the full-sized football pitch with his ability to retain possession.

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Can Farquharson do it at a professional level?

In the summer of 2020, Farquharson was on trial at Belgian Pro League outfit K.V. Oostende, though a move failed to materialise.

It was reported that Oostende, owned by the same consortium which runs Barnsley, identified him as a potential target because of their data-orientated approach.

The Belgian Pro League is ranked the 9th best in Europe according to the UEFA Country coefficients so that gives you an idea of the standard he may have been playing at.

Of course that is a hypothetical situation and facts are the most important.

Farquharson has experience of playing in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

As a result of winning the 2019/20 Cymru Premier, the Nomads entered Europe’s top competition.

In a one-legged play-off at the Cardiff City Stadium, they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Bosnian champions FK Sarajevo.

It was the first time they had represented Wales in the competition and despite the signing of experienced midfielder Aeron Edwards, Farquharson’s manager Andy Morrison opted to give him the armband in the historic fixture.

Farquharson was also captain in the Nomads’ narrow 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Tbilisi in the Europa League.

He also kept a clean sheet against Kilmarnock in the Europa League, as well as keeping a respectable scoreline against Partizan Belgrade.

Lastly, Farquharson was named the 2019/20 Cymru Premier Young Player of the Year, which shows how well his levels were last season before it was curtailed.