SWINDON Wildcats netminder Stevie Lyle has no plans to slow down yet as he gets set to start his 23rd season in senior ice hockey.

The 36-year-old Great Britain international will begin his fourth campaign between the pipes for the Cats when the new English Premier League programme gets under way this weekend, having been first thrust into action as a teenager for hometown club Cardiff Devils back in the 1994/95 season.

Lyle is still flying high for both club and country, signing a new three-year contract with the Cats back in March before going on to collect his 80th international cap the following month.

Swindon player/coach Aaron Nell clearly believes Lyle still has the quality to go alongside his abundance of experience and the veteran stopper is as eager to shine as ever.

“Hopefully I will still be playing for a few more years yet, depending on the body,” said Lyle.

“When I spoke to Aaron there were a couple of other teams that were talking about the same length of contract but Swindon know what they are getting from me and were more than happy to put me on that deal.

“It’s nice that people still think of me as a good starting goalie and hopefully I will prove them right.

“I will find out how my body is holding up once we get out there. I have been on the ice a couple of times this summer and I still feel the same.

“Come Monday mornings, every season you get a couple more aches and pains but it is worth it. I still enjoy the playing side of it and I want to keep that going.”

This time last year, Lyle was gearing up for his first competitive game as Cats coach, having taken over for the 2015/16 season.

However, he stood down less than two months into the campaign, with Nell stepping into his shoes as player/coach.

Lyle says he has made peace with what unfolded off the ice last term and has had a much more peaceful summer without the worries of planning and preparing for the season in the back of his mind.

“The thing last year was that I found I just wanted to still concentrate on the playing side of it,” added Lyle.

“The job was harder than I thought, purely on the basis that with Aaron; he is back and forward from the bench, whereas I am always on the ice.

“It was tough and I think stepping away was the right thing to do, although that’s not to say I won’t get back into it in a couple of years when I am retired from playing.

“What I have been doing this summer is spending time with the family and running a hockey camp in Slough. I’ve been on the ice a couple of times and it’s actually been a fast summer but certainly not as stressful.