Worthing boy Mickey Demetriou is back on the up – after a dramatic change in fortunes.

The former Durrington High School pupil was out of contract and facing an uncertain future as Newport lurched towards possible relegation from League Two in the final weeks of last season.

Then County side staged a last-day escape act, sending Hartlepool down in the final minutes of the season.

Demetriou secured a new two-year contract. Then, as this season got under way, he became a dad for the first time.

Now he hopes to keep flying the Worthing flag in the Football League as part of a push for the play-offs.

He told The Argus: “The gaffer (Michael Flynn) came in last season and we had 13 games to keep the club up as a Football League team.

“If we had gone down, the club would probably have folded.

“That just proves we did a job not just for the football club but for the whole town. We are thankful for the fans that keep turning up.

“For me personally, Newport gave me the chance to play Football League again after I had a couple of injuries. I owe it to them to do my best every game.”

Demetriou, 27, has been at a crossroads before.

Having played for Worthing, Bognor and Eastbourne Borough, as well as some time at the Glenn Hoddle Academy, he made his Football League breakthrough with Shrewsbury three years ago.

But injury struck with a torn meniscus and then a broken metatarsal.

He said: “Coming off the back of two injuries and leaving Shrewsbury, it was hard to find someone to give me the chance.

“I had a couple of people interested but they were saying, ‘You haven’t played games’. Well, when you are injured, you can’t play games.

“You need someone to give you that chance.

“Graham Westley gave me that chance and I’m thankful for that.”

Now things could hardly be better – especially when family and friends made the short trip from Worthing to see him score twice in the 2-1 win at Crawley last week.

Six-week-old son Theo is making it even more special.

Demetriou said: “There are a few sleepless nights but the Missus (Aimee) has been great with him.

“She has taken a lot of the stress off me, especially when we have got games coming up. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know how I’d be doing.”

As it, he represents the West Sussex town along with Dave Tarpey, the National League goal machine who recently joined Barnet, and Portsmouth livewire Connor Chaplin.

He said: “There are a few of us around. Connor went to the same school as me but he was a couple of years below me.

“Durrington have produced a couple of Football League players, which is nice for them.

“We are thankful to be playing football.

“There are a lot of people at that school and many others who would like to be doing the jobs we are doing.”

Demetriou has been nominated for the PFA fans player of the month award in League Two.

He is on a six-man shortlist for the August and September prize in the fourth tier.