JAMES Shanes admits his time at Poole Pirates didn’t turn out the way he would’ve liked, and now hopes his SGB Premiership fortunes can be turned around when lining up for the Swindon Robins next season.

Shanes, 21, was announced as Alun Rossiter’s sixth winter signing last Monday following the capture of Jason Doyle, Tobiasz Musielak, Adam Ellis, Dawid Lampart and Troy Batchelor.

The Dorset-based racer will partner Zach Wajtknecht in Robins’ reserve berth – following confirmation of his return to the Abbey Stadium two days earlier.

After struggling for points with the Pirates last season - which eventually resulted in his release - Shanes hopes his Championship and National League spells with Sheffield and Birmingham respectively will stand him in good stead for a return to top flight form come March.

He said: “In my first year at Poole, it was hard to jump straight up into that level of racing having come from the National League.

“I went back there last year looking to improve and it didn’t plan out the way I wanted it to, but the year I had with Sheffield and Birmingham, I feel like I have come on leaps and bounds from where I was at the start of the year.

“Hopefully I can come back into the league and show everyone what I am truly made of.

“I know guys like Adam (Ellis) and Zach (Wajtknecht) and I get on well with them, so it will be good to link up with them.

“I don’t know too much about the Polish guys, but I have heard they’re good guys so hopefully the team gels really quickly and we can start the season on the right foot.”

Shanes is also relishing the prospect of working with Robins and Team GB boss Alun Rossiter.

The former Elite Shield winner insists Rossiter’s approach to team management will inject confidence in the Robins’ class of 2018 – who will first take to the track in three months’ time for their annual press and practice session.

Having missed out on a play-off spot last season, Shanes is keen to put Swindon’s issues at reserve from the season past to the back of the fans’ minds as they bid to regain their SGB Premiership crown, which was - ironically - lost to Poole in October when they defeated King’s Lynn in the Grand Final.

Shanes added: “I am looking forward to it.

“It was brilliant to have Rosco give me the call and sorting out a deal so quickly was amazing.

“It is almost a second chance for me to go back into the top league and show how much I have improved from the year out. I am looking forward to it.

“Having someone like Rosco get behind you and put his faith in you gives you a lot of confidence. I was a bit unsure as to whether I was going to get a Premiership spot and I was looking at different avenues.

“After I got the call from Rosco and he said he was keen, we had the deal sorted in a matter of days - there was no hassle at all.

“He is such a passionate man when it comes to his team, I will look to use that passion and put it into my riding.”