Merthyr Town Football Club are delighted to announce the loan signing of forward, Kiban Rai from Aldershot Town until the end of the 2025/26 season.

Kiban, 21, joined the academy at Newport County at the age of 15, after spending his early years of junior football at Merthyr Town academy, here at Penydarren Park. Rai quickly made a name for himself at Rodney Parade on 29th August 2023, when he scored his first goal for Newport County in dramatic fashion, netting a 96th-minute equaliser in an EFL Cup match against Premier League side Brentford. Rai's late strike demonstrated his ability to perform on the big stage and underscored his potential for the future, leading to him signing his first professional contract with the County in 2023. Kiban made a total of 30 appearances in the EFL League Two before departing at the end of the 2024/25 season.

Kiban had a short spell on loan with The Martyrs during the 2024/25 Southern League Premier South winning season, but after just a handful of appearances, an ankle injury saw him play no further part. In the summer of 2025, Kiban joined National League side, Aldershot Town on a two-year deal.

Rai was born in Brecon, and he also qualifies to represent Nepal through his parents. Kiban’s father was a British Army Gurkha, and in 2023 Kiban Rai became the first player of Nepalese descent to sign a professional contract in the Premier League or EFL when he signed his first professional contract with Newport County.

We would like to thank Aldershot Town for their co-operation throughout the transfer, and we look forward to Kiban returning to Penydarren Park this Saturday.