Sky Sports exclusive: Newport's Scott Twine discusses how loan spells have been pivotal in his development, the benefit of regular playing time and how he is enjoying football "more than ever" at Rodney Parade.
Tuesday 24 November 2020 09:22, UK
For Newport loanee Scott Twine, loan spells have been as much about gaining experience in life as they have been about development on the pitch.
It's been more than three years since the midfielder was first exposed to professional football when he made his senior debut for hometown club Swindon on the final day of the 2016/17 season, and while there have been sporadic appearances since, he has, thus far, been unable to nail down a regular starting spot at the County Ground.
The 21-year-old has not been content with playing a bit-part role, though, instead utilising the time to continue his own development. Following a temporary switch to National League South outfit Chippenham Town, he boldly crossed the Irish Sea to join Waterford.
"That was completely different for me because I've always lived at home. By moving to another country to live for the first time, I learned a lot," he tells Sky Sports.
"When the offer came in, initially I wasn't too sure whether it would be a good or bad move, but I knew that if the football didn't suit me, at least I'd learn to live on my own. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good experience because I've always been in my comfort zone at home, so to move to a different country and work with different people who I've never met before was great."
Twine returned to his parent club after four months and made three late cameos at the start of the 2019/20 campaign, before going on to play just four minutes in the first team between August 24 and January 11. A second spell with Chippenham - albeit two divisions below - brought brief respite prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
Shortly before the start of the 2020/21 season, with Swindon preparing for life a division above after lifting the Sky Bet League Two title, Robins manager at the time, Richie Wellens allowed him to sign a season-long loan deal with Newport.
It was just the break he needed. Having made his debut in an all-Welsh Carabao Cup encounter with Swansea, with 15 games in all competitions now under his belt, Twine has four goals and three assists to his name.
The second of those not only helped 41-year-old Kevin Ellison score his first goal for the club in a 1-0 win over Port Vale last weekend but it also kept the Exiles top of the league, three points clear of nearest rivals Cheltenham and with a valuable game in hand.
"It feels good," he continues. "This is my first time playing regularly in League Two, so I'm very pleased personally, and for the team as well, with how it has gone so far.
"There's a winning mentality in training every day and no one is happy if they are on the losing team in mini games in training or on a matchday. Every training session is treated like a game and that's exactly what it was like at Swindon last year. Training sessions were high intensity and everyone wanted to impress themselves and the manager to try and get into the team. That's what it's like here.
"We've also got a lot of depth in the squad, so competition for places is high, which keeps everyone on their toes."
There has been no contact with John Sheridan - who took over at Swindon on November 13 - but Twine explains that his full focus is on Newport regardless. There's a glint in his eye when he guides the conversation back to matters on the pitch; it's his boyish enjoyment of the game that shines through.
"I'm enjoying my football probably more than I ever have done before," he adds. "I just love playing football and when I'm playing football, I'm happy. I've always been like that since I was a young kid and that's all I've ever wanted to do. There's nothing better than playing on a matchday. I was at Chippenham last season at Conference South level but I treated every game like it was a cup final.
"When I came to Newport, I wanted to prove to myself more than anyone that I am good enough to play regularly at this level. I've still got a long way to go, as it's only been a couple of months, but I just want to keep playing, keep getting better, keep practicing and hopefully keep winning games and scoring goals.
"I'm really looking forward to the amount of games coming up over the next few weeks. A winning mentality is a very good thing to have at times like these. We're not going to win every game this season so when we do drop points, we have to make sure we bounce back the next day in training and work hard to make sure we do win as many games as possible."
