Swindon Wildcats sign Adam Harding from Milton Keynes Lightning

Harding, 25, enjoyed a three-season stint with the Wildcats before making a full-time move to Manchester Storm in 2016 before playing with the Dundee Stars last year.

After being informed he wasn’t part of new club Milton Keynes Lightning’s plans going forward, Harding quickly contacted the Wildcats where a contract was agreed and signed within 24 hours.

Player-coach Aaron Nell admitted Harding’s arrival at the Link Centre came as a bonus to his men, who play their first home game of the season in less than five weeks when welcoming Bracknell Bees on Sunday, September 1.

Nell said: “We’re very happy, I think Adam is really going to help the team.

“I’d say it’s a bonus signing for us, we didn’t necessarily expect to making it.

“But when he became available it wasn’t something we couldn’t just simply let pass.

“He’s been in the Elite League for the past two seasons so I believe his game has matured in the past couple of years.

“He can play wing or centre and is a responsible player. We’re lucky we could make this happen.”

The Cardiff-born right-shooter will add an element of strength in depth to Wildcats’ forward options, something which Nell believes helped his side land both the Autumn Cup and National Trophy last season.

With further trophy success on his mind, Nell highlighted the importance of hard work in the weeks building up to the club’s first face-off.

He said: “It’s important to have that depth offensively. Our depth last year won us trophies at the end of the year, in my opinion.

“If we can do the same again this season then it will be massive for us. We’ve got a lot of good players that work hard, and to have depth is key.

“We’ve been on the ice unofficially for the past couple of weeks.

“We’ll start to go a bit harder in the middle of August before our official practice at the end of the month.

“Players are ready to go and we all can’t wait to get started.”