Former Great Britain international Lewis Bridger is making a shock comeback with King’s Lynn.

Bridger, 31, is a highly experienced rider having spent the bulk of his career in the top flight appearing for a host of clubs, including Eastbourne and Lakeside - but he retired after a spell in the Championship with Berwick in 2017.

Since then, the Hastings-born man has gone on to become a qualified personal trainer and nutritionist.

The former British Under-21 champion arrives at the Adrian Flux Arena with the backing of highly-regarded engine tuner Peter Johns, but he admits Minors and Brady Stars past and present have helped make his dream comeback a reality.

Bridger said: “I’ve been in contact with Lewi Kerr most mornings, we’ve been doing road runs getting the kilometres in and he’s been helping me with certain aspects of running because that has never really been my thing.

“I have got quite a lot of muscle that I need to lose with the weight training I have done because I really need to slender down.

“And then Lewis Rose has also been really good to me as he is giving me one of his King’s Lynn engines and he is going to be alongside me at Lynn when he’s not away working.

“It is really refreshing to know I have got some great support and Dale Allitt has been amazing from the word go because he has filled me full of confidence about coming back. He is happy to take a risk on me and he knows I’ll put 100 per cent effort in so I do not want to let him down.”

Despite securing the services of the experienced Brit Stars co-promoter Allitt wants to play down the signing admitting there will be no big expectations on Bridger this season.

“I have said to Lewis there is no pressure.” said Allitt. “He can come in and let’s see where the journey takes us, I have got full belief that if he puts his mind to it then he can do whatever he wants in speedway as he is still young enough to do it.

“We won’t be heaping on the pressure that has been done with riders in the past at some clubs. Yes, it is a fantastic signing but we won’t be going around in a blaze of glory.

“We are very happy to have him, but we are both going into it with our eyes wide open and we want to make the journey a long and successful one.”