NEW manager Graham Westley believes he is the right man to save Newport County AFC from relegation, insisting he did a ‘decent’ job at Peterborough United and an ‘outstanding’ one at Stevenage.

Westley was confirmed as the man to replace Warren Feeney at Rodney Parade earlier today and he will take over from caretaker managers Sean McCarthy and James Bittner after tomorrow’s League Two clash at Colchester United.

The 48-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by League One Posh in April and before that he was replaced by Teddy Sheringham at Stevenage at the end of his contract.

Writing in his column in the Football League paper after he left Peterborough, Westley took credit for the development of former Exiles striker Conor Washington after he sealed a £3m move to Queens Park Rangers.

Westley said: “Mine was a short tenure – I lasted just seven months but I did achieve some decent outcomes.

“My win record was 44 per cent and we had moved into mid-table safety in 14th and became one of the country’s top scoring teams.

“We enjoyed a strong FA Cup run and took West Brom to penalties in the fourth round.

“I had developed and sold Conor Washington to QPR in a sizeable seven-figure deal and received similarly big offers for other players that I felt I had a strong hand in developing.

“There was a tough spell in February/March when we struggled for results with a significant amount of key men absent and after we cashed in on Conor out of necessity.

“Our squad was tested and my newness meant that I didn’t really know enough about everybody to get the very best from the team that soon and with so many issues.

“But we bounced back and won four of my last eight games and I did blood a lot of novice players in League One, which will be great for them in the long-term.

“It is never nice to be sacked, but the honest words of thanks from players and staff that you have helped to develop make a huge difference and I have received many of those.

“I know I made a difference to many developing players and their future success will be part of my legacy at the club.”

Westley also feels he was unfortunate to be replaced by Sheringham after his third spell at Stevenage, a club he had previously led from the Conference to League One.

“I left Stevenage at the end of 2014/15 after qualifying for the League Two play-offs for the second time in two seasons in League Two,” he said.

“I felt that I had done an outstanding job to achieve that result. But to no avail!

“This year I leave Posh four places higher than when I joined. That might not be mind-blowing but it is progress, especially in the circumstances.”