Aaron Lewis signs for Newport after leaving Lincoln

The 22-year-old defender joined the Exiles on loan from the Imps in mid-October but endured a frustrating first spell at Rodney Parade.

Rules on how many loan players can feature in a matchday squad, plus the form of wing-backs Liam Shephard and Ryan Haynes, meant he played a solitary League Two game against Leyton Orient.

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Talks were held over a permanent move to Newport but agreement couldn’t be reached and he returned to Lincoln.

The League One promotion hopefuls, who signed County academy graduate Regan Poole last weekend, worked to find him a new club but then released him on deadline day.

Lewis, who won his 13th and final Wales Under-21s cap in November, has now agreed terms to stay until at least the end of the season.

“I went back to Lincoln, but I wasn’t playing as much as I would’ve liked, so I need to be somewhere where I can play games,” said the full-back.

“I spoke to the gaffer again and the move went quickly from there. It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to come here to finish what I had started.”

He will aim to put the pressure on Haynes and will battle with Ashley Baker to fill in for Shephard, who is suspended for the next three games after being red-carded for a dangerous tackle at Harrogate last weekend.

Lewis’ uncle Kenny Morgans, a Munich air disaster survivor with Manchester United, is a Newport hall of famer after scoring 46 goals in 141 appearances between 1961 and 1964.

Lewis is another County player who came through the Swansea City pathway, following Shephard and midfielders Josh Sheehan and Jack Evans.

Manager Michael Flynn added: “As I previously said, Aaron is a player who I have watched over the last few seasons and I know the quality he possesses.

“He was very keen on coming back here after spending the first half of the season with us, so I’m very pleased that he’s decided to join us for the rest of the season.”