SWINDON Wildcats youngster Jordan Kelsall says he can’t afford to live off the impact he made in his debut year with the club.

Last year, aged 17, Kelsall was somewhat of a surprise package to Link Centre supporters, as he turned out for 32 appearances, scoring a total of 12 points.

As a result of that impressive campaign, the teenager was offered a contract with Nottingham Panthers before signing a dual deal to return to the Link Centre.

Yet in terms of his development, the teenager thinks he has found the perfect fit at the Wildcats as he gets plenty of time out on the ice.

“I think I’ve taken another step forward from last year. I’ve got bigger this year, I’m a year older and I’ve been training at a higher level,” he said.

“I’ve come back this year and Aaron expects a lot from me, which is good and I think I’ve done well so far, I just want to keep going.

“I feel a little bit of pressure but I’m going to take it in my stride. Everyone has pressure, we just have to deal with it and keep going.

“I was happy to come back, I enjoyed it here and I need to play here because I don’t get a lot of minutes or opportunities at Nottingham.

“It’s really good for me to train there and come back here. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else so it was a perfect deal.”

While the now 18-year-old acknowledges he may have caught some people out with his performances last year, he says he needs to keep improving if he wants to continue to turn heads in the game.

“I’m quicker than last year, my foot speed has got better and I just think I’m a bit calmer on the ice this year, maybe that’s come with age,” he added.

“It’s always difficult to judge yourself when you’re playing so many games in such a short space of time, but looking back on last year I’ve noticed quite a big difference.

“I look back over the year in the summer, but you have a general feeling of how it went.

“I just work as hard as I can on my weaknesses to come back a better player.

“We need to do well this year. There is a lot of pressure on us and it is nice to have that because it keeps you on your toes.”