HANS Andersen insists some top shale stars "take the Mickey" over British speedway – but says he will give his all wherever he ends up next year.

The experienced Dane is keen on a return to Pirates having skippered the Wimborne Road side to back-to-back play-off semi-finals, his dream of a third top-flight title on these shores still not satisfied.

And the 36-year-old is hopeful promoter Matt Ford will turn to him again for 2018 as Poole go in search of SGB Premiership glory in the year of the club's 70th anniversary.

Andersen told the Daily Echo: "Matt knows my thoughts and it's up to him to make his mind up over what route he wants to go down.

"I think I give a lot to the team on and off the track and I always turn up. I'm not missing every second or third meeting – I always treat the British league with respect and don't throw a sickie when it suits me.

"I feel I have always been pretty dedicated for the British teams I've rode for. I still see myself as quite a valuable rider for a team and they know what they get when they sign me.

"You see some riders who ride on a Sunday in the Polish league but can't go to England to ride on a Monday. Even though they say they aren't fit for England, they still ride in Sweden on a Tuesday.

"There are some riders who take the Mickey. I don't think they always do it because of the money, it's probably just because they hate travelling and it's too much flying."

A league title winner with Peterborough in 2006 and Swindon in 2012, Andersen freely admitted prior to the 2016 season that he had joined Pirates with the number-one aim of lifting trophies.

But having failed to secure Elite League and, latterly, Premiership glory with the Dorset club, the former Grand Prix star revealed he had been left irked.

He said: "Poole is the club I've raced for the longest in Britain and I still haven't won a title with them, which annoys me a little bit because I am a Pirate by heart.

"You want to win something for yourself but for the club as well.

"At the end of the day, you win as a team and lose as a team. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way for a lot of reasons.

"I think I have done most of what I was signed to do by Matt. I try to get the most out of the boys, speak on their behalf, try to spur everyone on off-track and lead the team on-track.

"I think I have been pretty consistent. I might not have scored 15 every meeting but I've not scored four one week and 15 the next."

Andersen had initially planned to hold his testimonial at Poole this summer and although Ford gave his skipper the green light, those plans were eventually shelved.