NEWPORT County boss Jimmy Dack has blasted the bureaucracy that scuppered a move for Cardiff City striker Rhys Healey.

The Exiles have had the 20-year old Cardiff City prospect training with them all week but were unable to secure international clearance for the former Connah’s Quay striker and will now end the campaign without adding to their ranks.

Healey, who played for the Bluebirds in the Premier League against Chelsea last term, scored four goals in six league starts for League One Colchester earlier this year.

He was recalled to Cardiff with manager Russell Slade keen to see him feature somewhere more regularly, opening the door for a switch to Rodney Parade.

However, the loan didn’t progress due to confusion over the terms of his agreement with Colchester, with the authorities concluding that Healey wasn’t eligible for another temporary move.

And not only did plan A go out of the window, but County’s back-up option Kyle Vassell moved to League Two rivals Oxford United from Peterborough, with the 22-year signing until the end of the campaign.

The Exiles had until 5pm on Thursday to conclude any last minute business and were looking to replace forward Rene Howe. It is understood Oxford trumped Newport’s financial offer.

“Rhys can’t play for the rest of the season now, he’s going to essentially have a career break and I don’t see how that can be right,” Dack told the Argus.

"And we've lost plan B as well, he's gone to Oxford."

He had been more bullish earlier in the day at his pre-match press conference ahead of the visit to Accrington.

“We are having a bit of a problem at the moment, we’ve had someone (Healey) training with us for four days and have an agreement with his club,” he said.

“But we seem to get punished for being a Welsh club in an English league, we have to do this international clearance and everything becomes a bit of a problem.

“We’ve had problems with it in the past and it is coming back to bite us on the backside at the moment. There is red tape in the way, it is a crazy situation of stopping a player plying his trade.

“But I can’t just sign someone for the sake of it. We’d rather go with what we’ve already got.”

Dack feels Newport, along with Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, should be under the jurisdiction of the English, rather than Welsh, Football Association.

“I think we should be governed by the English FA, it is crazy, we are playing in an English league but after still classed as a foreign club.

“It’s totally unfair. We are at a disadvantage compared to English clubs looking to sign players.”