NEW signing Keanu Marsh-Brown is looking forward to the start of pre-season training today and the former Forest Green Rovers winger believes Newport County AFC can challenge at the top of League Two, writes Andrew Penman.

The 25-year-old, who arrived at Rodney Parade on a two-year deal last week, has previously won promotion with Barnet and Forest Green and he is certain that County have the squad to follow suit in 2019.

Marsh-Brown will meet all his new teammates for the first time as the Exiles squad returns for training at Spytty Park.

“You need that first month with the team to get that team bonding,” he told iFollow Exiles.

“We want a strong pre-season and then when the season starts, we want to hit the ground running.

“Everyone has to bring their ‘A’ game and then the team can achieve anything,” he added.

“You only have to look at last year – the teams that got promoted into League One might not have been expected to achieve that.

“You just have to be hungry. You have to be at it every day and you really need a squad that trusts each other.

“Things might not go great all the time, but you have to have belief in your team mates. You all need to have the same mind-set of wanting that promotion – if you strive for that then it’ll happen at the end.”

County’s promotion push hit the buffers last season after their run to the FA Cup fourth round and Marsh-Brown says the league must be the priority this year.

“You can have a great cup run but the league is the most important thing,” he said.

“You want to push for that promotion – whether that be a spot in the play-offs or finishing high in the table.

“I think, looking at the play-offs specifically, it’s all about staying positive and building on that positive mind-set, then the rest will come."