DAVID Pipe believes Newport County AFC are already equipped to make sure that their brush with relegation this season doesn’t happen again next term.

The 33-year-old played a key role in helping the Exiles beat the drop to the National League after returning to Rodney Parade in January on loan from Eastleigh.

Pipe, County captain when promotion to the Football League was achieved in 2013, was released by the Spitfires last week and could well end up back at the Exiles on a permanent basis.

While that is yet to be decided, the one-cap Wales international is confident a great escape won’t be required again during the next campaign.

When asked what has to be done to avoid another relegation battle, he said: “I think that’s already been put in place with the people who have come back, not just myself, as well as the personnel on and off the pitch.

“The gaffer is very clever with the people he has brought in, including himself who has galvanised the place like no-one's business.

“If Michael Flynn is not manager of Newport County next season I might hang my boots up because that would be a disgrace. If anyone deserves it, it’s him.

“A big mention should go to Wayne Hatswell, who I think is very good for the gaffer, and then you’ve got someone like Lennie Lawrence, who I can’t speak highly enough of.

“I’ve worked under Lennie at Bristol Rovers and that man brings structure and professionalism, and he’ll make sure it will never happen again.”

Comparing the play-off win over Wrexham at Wembley four years ago to staying up having been 11 points adrift of safety, there is one achievement that comes out on top for Pipe.

“In my first interview back at the club I said that if we stayed up it would be a bigger achievement than the play-off win and I stand by that,” he added.

"You could kind of weigh it up but the pressure that was on this game and the turnaround, the points gap, everyone writing us off, add all that together and I honestly think it would be a struggle for anyone to repeat that in that short space of time.

“The fact we’ve dug in and done it how we have shows we always believed we could stay up, because if we didn’t have that belief there was no way of getting out of there.

"I think as a collective, the county, the fans, everyone involved, you walk into shops and everyone's buzzing again and it's a massive collective effort.”

Pipe had a hand in both of the Exiles’ goals in their 2-1 defeat of Notts County on Saturday, as survival was secured thanks to Mark O’Brien’s stunning volley in the 89th minute.

As for his own future, Pipe said: “Obviously things didn’t work out there (Eastleigh). I’m not the type to bad-mouth anyone, and I’m a big enough man to keep myself to myself.

“The two clubs made it possible with a bit of gentle persuasion from myself to get me back to this club to hopefully do what we’ve done.

“I never wanted to leave in the first place, everyone knows that. Everyone close to me and everyone miles away knows that. Sometimes football is about politics but it’s better to do it this way.

“I’ve gone through life proving people wrong and I’m continuing to do that.”