PAUL Starke admitted he would be keen to rejoin Pirates in future and insisted he would ideally return a better rider than in 2015.

Starke rode with distinction as Poole roared to an unprecedented third straight Elite League title last term, the Hereford-born charger forming a potent partnership with Kyle Newman at reserve.

However, Wimborne Road chief Matt Ford admitted Starke’s average had worked against him making a return to Dorset for the current campaign.

Instead, Starke linked up with Leicester and discovered the form of his life, taking his fine displays into a guest booking for Poole at Lakeside on Friday, in which he racked up 16 paid 17 in the visitors’ shock win.

And the 25-year-old explained he would be open to a switch to the south coast in future, admitting the 2015 season had proved a springboard for his career.

Starke told the Daily Echo: "Maybe in future something will crop up and I will rejoin the Pirates. It is a home away from home for me after winning the league last year.

“I really enjoyed my year. I didn’t really progress as much as I’d have liked but towards the end of the season, things were going really well. This year, things have taken off for me and I’ve put a lot more into it.

“Being at Poole, you see what it takes and what it’s all about. You have really good riders around you and that was a push in the right direction for me. From where I was then to where I am now is quite a good improvement.

“I knew what I had to do this year. I put in a lot more time and effort. My machinery is better, my engines are fast and I know it’s down to me. It has been about the will to do it more than before.

“It’s going really well and I just want to keep pushing forward as much as I can and maybe when the time is right, you will see me in the skull and crossbones again.

“I would much prefer to go back a better rider if I ever went back.”

Meanwhile, Newman has revealed he is on the comeback trail after sustaining a broken collarbone in a Premier League crash at Peterborough at the end of last month.

But the Poole-born ace says he does not yet have a definitive date for a comeback.

Newman told his personal website: “My shoulder and arm are healing well. The bone feels good but I need to build up the strength in the muscle around it before I attempt to get back on a bike.

“I have made good progress since the crash but I don’t want to commit on when I will be back. I have to take one step at a time."

Newman added: “Paul Ackroyd and the Ben Fund have been great, they have helped me out and I really appreciate it. They do fantastic work and it’s at times like these you realise how much good work they do.”

Pirates are due to return to action a week today when Lakeside make the trip to Dorset for an Elite League clash.