NICK Morris will line up for Swindon Robins for a third straight season in 2014 after becoming Alun Rossiter’s first top-five signing of the winter.

The young Australian moved to Swindon for the start of the 2012 campaign and quickly became a vital part of the Robins team which won the Elite League title that season and reached the play-offs in 2013.

He will now join Steve Worrall and Josh Bates in the Robins side after the duo were drafted at reserve on Tuesday, and on a 5.90 average Rossiter believes Morris, who lives with him and his wife Julie, will once again prove a bargain.

“Nick has come on leaps and bounds and has been a solid rider for us, although we have to remember he is only young and is still learning,” he said.

“He’s maturing fast and started listening during last season and took a lot more onboard and he really benefited from that.

“He lives with me, which can be hard because he’s living under the same roof as his boss, but he copes well with it and we have a laugh. I think Julie’s influence is really good for him too.

“I think he will take some big steps forward this season and we’re really pleased to have him back with us again. With bonus points he pretty much averaged seven at home and seven away for us last season and that’s pretty good for someone his age.”

Morris admitted coming back to Swindon was an easy decision to make and hopes a spell riding back in Australia over the winter will see him return to Wiltshire ready to hit the ground running.

“I have a good set-up in Swindon with a good workshop and I live here too so it’s good to be back,” he said.

“I’m going back to Australia in a few weeks to do some riding back there and practise as much as I can and hopefully I will come back and have another good season. I’m not sure if I will do the Australian Championship yet because it costs a lot of money and is a lot of travelling, but I might team up with Josh Grajczonek and do it which would reduce the costs.

“It sounds like we are going to have a strong team for next season so hopefully we can do something good next year.”

Morris is also pleased to be teaming up with Worrall and Bates at reserve.

“It’s good to have the young guys in the team at reserve and it will be good for them and hopefully it will help them improve with more meetings and some more money,” he said.

“I have raced them both before and they are good guys, and young too, so it’s all good.”