Shaquille Gwengwe: From Southern League to EFL Player of the Month Nominee
Shaquille Gwengwe’s rise from the Southern League to a League Two player of the month nomination has been rapid, ruthless and, in the eyes of his manager, fully earned.
The Newport County forward hit four goals in August, his first month as an EFL player after arriving from Poole Town, where he plundered 47 last season. The level has changed. His knack for goals hasn’t.
From non-league hotshot to EFL threat
Newport boss Hayden Mullins sees the nomination as more than a nice line on a CV. For him, it’s proof that Gwengwe has handled a brutal jump in standard with a maturity that goes beyond the numbers.
“[It was] rightly deserved, with four goals in five games. He works incredibly hard,” Mullins said, pointing to a player who has embraced the grind as much as the glory.
Gwengwe, 25, has not walked into the dressing room like a man who thinks he has already made it. Mullins painted the picture of a forward who finishes training, then wants more.
“He always wants to work on areas of his game which he feels might help him to develop,” the County manager explained. “He's not come into the group and sat back; he's come in, and he really wants to push.
"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."
That “product” is now being noticed across the division. The striker was shortlisted for the League Two player of the month award alongside Barnet’s Charlie Larkin, Crewe’s Josh March and York City’s Harry Boyes, who ultimately took the prize.
Wide man now, number nine later?
Gwengwe has been clear about where he sees himself long term: through the middle. The irony is that every one of his four August goals came from a wide role in Mullins’ system.
It hasn’t bothered him. It has helped Newport.
“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.
The Newport boss is convinced the forward can grow into a central striker at this level, but he knows that might demand tweaks around him.
“He could be equally effective through the middle, but maybe we have to change a few things to help that,” he admitted. “He's jumped a lot of levels very quickly and with every game he's gaining more experience.
"Once he figures out the different challenges at this level, there's no reason why he couldn't play as the nine."
For now, the wide role gives him space to run at defenders and arrive in scoring positions late. As his understanding of League Two defending deepens, the central role beckons.
A game changer in the dressing room
It isn’t just the manager who has taken notice. Midfielder Ciaran Brennan has seen enough in training and on matchdays to label Gwengwe a genuine difference-maker.
"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 47 goals at Poole Town to four in his first month at Newport, Gwengwe has carried his instincts up the pyramid. The question now is simple: how far can that nose for goal take him in the EFL?
