DANISH racer Nicolai Klindt admitted he had come close to joining Pirates a decade ago.

Klindt, who has signed up for the 2017 campaign, was as a youngster invited to Britain on more than one occasion by Poole chief Matt Ford.

He impressed in Tony Rickardsson's farewell meeting at Wimborne Road in 2006, producing last-lap passes of Bjarne Pedersen and Antonio Lindback.

Ford even said of the then-teenager at the time: "I can't imagine he would want to go anywhere else."

But Outrup-born Klindt, who turned 28 two days ago, never finalised a deal in Dorset – until the current off-season.

He told the Daily Echo: "Matt was the first person to invite me to ride in England in 2005 when I did a Young Guns meeting.

"He brought me over for the another Young Guns meeting the following year as well as getting me in for Tony Rickardsson's farewell.

"We were talking for a few years around that time about me signing for Poole but it just never happened for a few different reasons."

Klindt will start next year's SGB Premiership campaign at reserve alongside top-flight rookie James Shanes.