NEWPORT County AFC chairman Les Scadding has paid tribute to manager Justin Edinburgh as the Exiles boss celebrates two years in the hotseat today.

Edinburgh was appointed on October 4 in 2011 – before Scadding took over as chairman from Chris Blight.

But Scadding has worked closely with Edinburgh over the last year and he’s delighted that the boss has signed an extension to his contract to keep him at Rodney Parade until the summer of 2016.

Edinburgh and assistant Jimmy Dack saved County from relegation to the Conference South in 2011/12 and took the team to the FA Trophy final at Wembley.

And last season – Edinburgh’s first full season – he guided the club to promotion to the Football League via the play-off final at Wembley once again.

“I think if you look where we are as a club it speaks for itself about the job Justin has done,” said Scadding.

“To achieve what he’s done in such a short space of time is just brilliant.

“When you’re a man-manager like he is – that is what makes a good manager.

“Anyone can pick out a team but is that team going to go out and perform for you? You don’t know until the day, but you do with him because it’s the way he does it.

“Justin came up to me and said he wanted to show me and the supporters that he is 100 per cent behind this club. We’re lucky to have him.”

Director Howard Greenhaf was one of the men who interviewed Edinburgh when the club was looking for a replacement for Anthony Hudson two years ago.

“When we interviewed Justin we sat down to see what he was about and after an hour we offered him the job there and then,” he explained.

“There was no going away to think about it. We did the deal in the room and that was it.

“In hindsight it was a fantastic decision.”

And he said the contract extension was Edinburgh’s idea.

He added: “Justin came to us, it was his initiative to sign a new deal to show his loyalty and it’s great for all of us to know that what we’ve done off the pitch is appreciated and he wants to stick around.

“The fans have been great as well,” he said. “We took 800 to Exeter and 1700 to West Brom and that means something to the manager when he’s got that rapport with the fans.

“The fans, the board and everyone around Newport thinks a lot of him and we’re glad he’s here to stay.”