NEW Wildcat Matt Selby has likened his welcome to the Link Centre as being akin to becoming part of a new family.

The former Basingstoke Bison man, who is on a two-way deal with Elite League side Coventry Blaze, made his first appearances for Cats last weekend in their friendly fixtures with Manchester Phoenix.

The defenceman is another signing made by Stevie Lyle with international experience. The 20-year-old was a part of the 2014 gold medal winning Great Britain Under 20 side at the World Championship Division Two in Estonia.

Having come through the academy at Coventry, Selby has spent the last three seasons playing for the Bison and admitted moving to Swindon was a bit of a gamble.

However his initial experiences have led him to believe he had the made the right call when Lyle came calling this summer.

“I’ve been treated really well so far,” Selby told the Advertiser. “Leaving Basingstoke and Coventry I was a bit nervous, you know thinking ‘where am I going or what’s the set-up like?’ Especially if you’ve been at a club where you’ve been looked after very well, you don’t know what you’re opening yourself up to when you go to a new club.

“I spoke to a couple of players I knew who had played here before and they said nothing but positive things about the place. I can now understand why, everything down to the small details is sorted.

“You almost feel like you’re part of a family. You can see everyone is close and takes pride in what they’re doing here and it’s really nice feeling to be welcomed into that.”

With the opportunity to establish himself as a regular in Lyle’s new set-up and with the regular season nearly upon us he just wants to get going.

“You wait all summer, just working out and getting on the ice when you can, but this the start of the season you wait for,” he added.

“I’ve met all the off-ice staff and it’s great set-up here.

“You get your equipment, you meet all the boys and get your first practices on the go.

“It’s an exciting feeling. It’s a positive vibe at the moment.”