DANNY Rose will always be grateful to Newport County AFC for saving him from the football scrapheap but he’ll show his old club no mercy tonight.

The 25-year-old was a key part of County’s 2010 Conference South title-winning side and is now flying high at the top of League Two with Oxford United.

And as the sides prepare to meet at the Kassam Stadium tonight, Rose revealed the debt he feels he owes to the Exiles.

The former Manchester United youngster was on a downward spiral in his career when he arrived at Spytty Park from Oxford in 2008.

Under then County boss Dean Holdsworth his career was revived and he earned a big-money move to Fleetwood Town in January 2012 before returning to the Us this summer via a loan spell at Aldershot Town.

Rose thanked County for helping him back into the Football League.

“I guess on some level, having come from where I had, I always felt confident in my own ability that I knew I should be playing higher than at a Conference South level,” he said.

“But things don’t always work that way, there are hundreds of players in non-league that are more than good enough to play at League Two level and above.

“They don’t always get that opportunity, so the club gave me that chance to become a stepping stone to get me back to where I wanted to be.”

Rose is glad to see his former club impressing on their return to the Football League but he hopes their recent good run suffers a temporary halt tonight.

“I’m looking forward to playing against them and hopefully getting a good result,” he said.

“When I first went to Newport I think they were at their lowest point.

“They finished mid-table in Conference South and when I went there we managed to win it and had two really stable seasons in the Conference to consolidate ourselves at that level.

“It’s good to see them in League Two and doing so well.”

Like Justin Edinburgh’s men, Oxford are struggling with injuries.

Winger Sean Rigg is the latest to be sidelined, alongside Jake Wright, Dean Smalley, Alfie Potter, Andy Whing and former Cardiff City youngster Jon Meades.

County have club captain David Pipe back from suspension and new loan signing George Barker ready to start but Edinburgh could name an unchanged side for the fourth match running.

County are targeting a fifth straight clean sheet and aiming to secure only their second away win in League Two.

Oxford’s 3-0 win over Morecambe was only their third home win in nine league games at the Kassam so far this season.