Newport County’s Kai Whitmore Aims to Replicate Will Evans’ League One Progression

Newport County midfielder Kai Whitmore expresses his ambition to replicate the career trajectory of former Exile Will Evans, specifically his advancement from the Cymru Premier to League One. Evans, a 27-year-old former Cardiff Met striker, transferred to League One club Mansfield Town last summer for a six-figure sum. This move occurred two years after he initially became a professional player in League Two with Newport. Whitmore, aged 23, joined County from Cymru Premier team Haverfordwest County in June 2024. He registered his second goal of the current season during Saturday’s FA Cup match, which resulted in a loss to Peterborough United. This marked the midfielder’s initial start since recovering from a calf injury. When questioned about his desire to emulate Evans, who has netted five goals for Mansfield, Whitmore responded: “Yeah definitely, I’m trying my best.” He further stated: “I came in [to the club] wanting to do my best and to see where it goes and I see Will Evans, he was the same and moved on.” Reflecting on his injury, Whitmore commented: “It was frustrating being injured that long, I think it was eight weeks in the end but it was my first start back and I got a goal.” He also acknowledged the team dynamics, saying: “There’s obviously competition and you’re not allowed to come straight back to start, you’ve got to build up the minutes. I was tired, mind you.” Concluding his remarks, Whitmore emphasized the team’s objectives: “We want to win every game, there’s a big block of games coming up to January and we want to win as much as we can.”