FORMER Newport County AFC forward Aaron Collins looks set to go out on loan again in 2017-2018 but he won’t be joining National League North side AFC Telford.

Collins, who left County for Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2016, did play for Telford in their pre-season friendly defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

But the Argus understands that was just a convenient local run-out for the 20-year-old Newport-born front man.

Exiles academy graduate Collins scored three goals in 25 appearances for his hometown club before sealing a reported £100,000 move to Wolves.

The Wales under-19 international has yet to feature for the Championship club’s first team but he did enjoy loan spells with Notts County in League Two and Tranmere Rovers in the National League last season.

Collins helped Tranmere reach the National League play-off final in May but was an unused substitute at Wembley as the Birkenhead-based outfit were beaten 3-1 by Forest Green Rovers.

And, with first team opportunities likely to be hard to come by under new Portuguese manager Nuno Espírito Santo at Molineux, he is set to go out on loan again.

That is sure to alert Exiles boss Michael Flynn who is on the lookout for strikers and is a big fan of Collins.

After leaving the Bristol City academy, Collins was heading for the exit from Newport in 2014 after not being offered a scholarship.

Unable to afford the costs of travelling each day, the teenager took a job in McDonald's in Malpas.

But Flynn, who was then academy manager, intervened and Collins was offered his first professional contract with the club soon afterwards.

Warren Feeney did try to bring Collins back to Rodney Parade on loan 12 months ago but Wolves preferred to send him to Meadow Lane.

County are looking at a number of trialists in pre-season and one potential recruit could be former Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday defender Elliot Percival.

The 19-year-old has played at right-back and left-back so far in his career.

Percival signed a one-year deal with Wednesday last summer after leaving the Leicester youth set-up.

He helped the Owls’ under-23 side to win the Professional Development League Two play-off final and the PDL2 North title last season.

But he is now set for trials with County and Championship club Bolton Wanderers, according to reports.