JOSS Labadie feels like he is “back home” at Rodney Parade and now the midfielder wants to repay Newport County AFC’s faith in him by delivering the match-winning performances the club’s fans became used to before his serious knee injury.

The 28-year-old has re-signed with the Exiles until the end of the season after originally turning down the offer of a new contract last term to focus on recovering from anterior cruciate ligament damage.

He is still a couple of weeks away from full match fitness but the former County skipper is just glad to be back among familiar faces and can’t wait to help the side in their promotion push.

“It’s amazing to be back,” he said. “The boys have made me feel really welcome and it’s like coming back home. It’s as if I never left.

“This felt like the right thing to do and the right option for me at this point in my career. Hopefully I can push on and help the guys get higher up the table.

“It’s still early days and I’ve got a bit of endurance fitness to do before I return to match play.

“I’m just taking it week by week and hopefully it‘s not too long before the fans see me back on the pitch again.

“The most important thing for me now is that I’m back fit and I need to be somewhere I’m going to play and establish myself and prove myself all over again.

“I put my body on the line for Newport County every week and they were great for me throughout the summer.

“They offered me the chance to continue my rehab, they’ve supported me and I’ve spoken to the manager and chairman throughout and I couldn’t be more thankful to them.

“They’ve offered me a new contract so I do it owe it to them, and hopefully with my performances from now until the end of the season I can repay them.”

He added: “The manager and the staff have assembled a really good team and it’s something I’m really looking forward to being a part of.

“I’ve got a great relationship with the manager, he’s been great with advice, and I want to repay the faith he’s shown in me.”

Labadie also used a League One club’s facilities to help with his rehabilitation, and he has revealed that they and others were interested in signing him.

“I was doing a lot of my rehab at a League One club and they were quite interested,” he said.

“There were quite a few clubs interested and I was flattered, but this was definitely the right thing for me to do and I’m delighted.

“You could say it’s home. It’s familiar and there wouldn’t be a settling in period for myself or my family, and I felt I could hit the ground running.

“I’ve been doing a lot of work on my own at another club and when you’re not signed there you don’t feel 100% part of things.

“Just to be one of the boys and having the day-to-day banter is really good. It’s something that you can’t get anywhere else.

“You do feel lonely and people forget about you, but you get on with it and if you work hard you get what you deserve.”

The Exiles host Morecambe in League Two today (kick-off 3pm).