HEAD coach Ryan Aldridge believes Ryan Watt signed for Swindon Wildcats because the Link Centre club were able to offer the Scot the ‘right situation’.

Watt was released by Slough last week after just four appearances this season, with the Jets claiming that the 23-year-old forward ‘had not fulfilled the role of leader on the ice’.

But despite this assessment, the former Great Britain Under-20s man has been subject to interest from six EPL clubs and has also attracted admiring glances from the ENL.

However, high-flying Swindon have beaten off competition from their rivals, which included Basingstoke, to secure the signature of the former Braehead star.

Wildcats started the season a British forward down after summer signing Matt Towe backed out of his deal in Wiltshire, so Watt’s signing has come at the ideal time, according to Aldridge.

“Ryan wants to go back up to the higher level and I think our situation is the right situation for him to be able to do that,” said the Swindon head coach.

“It’s come at a good time and he is just what we need after losing out on Towey, he’s the perfect replacement.

“He also scores points but has got more toughness and will be a great addition to our team. He makes our line-up way deeper and I’d like to think he’s going to get 40 or 50 points.

“He needs to be a big role player and needs to be one of the top if not the top British players on the team if he wants to make that step back up.”

In a bizarre twist of fate, Watt’s various Wildcats garments were bought well before he even agreed he was returning to the club for a third spell.

Aldridge said: “It’s kind of freaky because I bought all the gym gear for an import I was talking to before I signed Juha (Silvander), who I was sure I was going to get, and he wears number 49.

“Ryan wears number 49 as well so I’ve got all the stuff for him to wear already - things like a T-shirt and shorts that he will have on when he goes to the gym.”

Watt, who witnessed Swindon’s dramatic penalty shots victory at Bracknell on Sunday, is expected to go straight into the line-up for this weekend’s double-header against Milton Keynes.

The Scot has plenty of previous Swindon history as he played 13 games for Wildcats in 08/09 and 23 in 2010/11.

His brother Nicky has also had two separate spells at the Link Centre, with his most recent stint ending midway through last season when he moved on to Basingstoke.