STEADFAST Matt Ford revealed how he had blocked Leicester's move for Nicolai Klindt – before snapping up the Dane himself.

Club asset Klindt is due to don the skull and crossbones when Poole return to action against King’s Lynn on Wednesday, June 13.

Based near Telford, the 29-year-old had held talks with Leicester over a switch to Beaumont Park but Ford stepped in to prevent a deal from being completed.

And fans’ favourite Klindt, who starred at Wimborne Road last year before sustaining a season-ending knee injury, was only too happy to link up with his parent club.

Ford told the Daily Echo: “Leicester would have liked Nicolai and that move would certainly have been more convenient for him.

"While I normally help every club out with assets, it’s often to the detriment of ourselves.

“The situation with Chris Holder has damaged us severely, especially when the club has assets like Hans Andersen and Kenneth Bjerre at Leicester, Troy Batchelor at Swindon and Krzysztof Kasprzak at Rye House.

“Clearly, these riders would have been a great help to us at this point and yet they have not been available due to the rules and regulations.

“On this one, I had to stick firm and do what was best for the club, and use those same rules and regulations which so often work against me to protect our asset.

“Nicolai has an awful lot of financial support in the town including many of the club’s sponsors, like County Crest Pallets, Meridian Lifts and Bell’s Decor.

“It’s somewhat galling if he comes back using their money to score against Poole. It’s something I find incredibly hard to accept when it happens.

“We stuck firmly to the fact I wanted him in the team."

Klindt revealed how he had had his own interests in mind when holding discussions with Leicester.

But after the move fell through, he admitted he had been delighted to agree a return to Poole.

Klindt said: "I was in talks with Leicester and that was not because I didn't want to come back to Poole, it was just that I had a chance of joining them when Matt wasn't able to guarantee me a team spot.

"I wanted to look out for my interests and I could have said I wasn't interested in Leicester and waited for Matt.

“But had he not been able to put me in, I would have been left with nothing.

"I've always been interested in coming back to Poole so when Matt wanted to sign me, it was an easy choice.”

Outside of Poole, Klindt is riding for SGB Championship side Workington, as well as Ostrow in Poland and Holsted in Denmark.

He was signed on a full transfer from Wolverhampton in May last year, the club with which he won the Elite League title in 2009.