Shaquille Gwengwe Shakes Up League Two with Stellar Start

Shaquille Gwengwe has barely unpacked his bags at Newport County, but he is already shaking up League Two.

Four goals in August, a nomination for the EFL League Two player of the month and a manager who cannot stop talking about his attitude. Not a bad start for a forward who was terrorising Southern League Premier South defences only a few months ago.

Last season, Gwengwe hit 47 goals for Poole Town. That kind of number usually belongs in video games or pub stories, not on a non-league stat sheet. Newport took a chance on that form. The 25-year-old has repaid it with a blistering first month in the EFL.

“He works incredibly hard,” said County boss Hayden Mullins. “Rightly deserved, with four goals in five games. He always wants to work on areas of his game which he feels might help him to develop.”

That is the theme with Gwengwe: hunger. Mullins has seen plenty of players arrive from lower levels and freeze. Gwengwe has done the opposite.

“He's not come into the group and sat back; he's come in, and he really wants to push,” Mullins explained. “He's got a lot to learn, but he's really open and wants to improve. His product is the by-product of all his hard work.”

The league has noticed. Gwengwe’s name appeared on the player of the month shortlist alongside Barnet’s Charlie Larkin, Crewe striker Josh March and York City’s Harry Boyes, who took the award. Gwengwe did not win, but the nomination itself underlined how quickly he has forced himself into the conversation.

What makes his start even more striking is the role he has played. Gwengwe prefers to operate through the middle, but all four of his August goals came from a wide position for Newport. He has accepted it, embraced it and scored from it.

“The good thing is he is open-minded. Wherever he can get into the team, he'll play and try and do a job,” Mullins said. “He could be equally effective through the middle, but maybe we have to change a few things to help that.”

The step up has been steep. From Southern League grounds to the grind of League Two in a flash. Mullins knows that sort of jump can expose flaws, yet he sees a player learning on fast-forward.

“He's jumped a lot of levels very quickly and with every game he's gaining more experience,” the manager said. “Once he figures out the different challenges at this level, there's no reason why he couldn't play as the nine.”

Inside the dressing room, the respect is just as clear. Midfielder Ciaran Brennan has watched Gwengwe’s early weeks from close range and has already filed him under “match-winner”.

“Shaq definitely knows where the goal is, so when he's on the pitch there's always half a chance that he might sniff something out,” Brennan said.

From non-league marksman to EFL game changer, Gwengwe has taken the first step. The real question now is how far that stride can carry him – and Newport – through the rest of the season.