PETERBOROUGH Speedway can today confirm the return of club legend Hans Andersen for the new Premiership season.
And the Danish ace is ready to banish the blues of a shocking 2019 campaign both for the team and on a personal basis.
He said: “I’m over the moon to be coming back to the Showground, it’s always been one of my, if not the, favourite track.
“Fitness wise I’m really good and in very, very good condition due to the fact I’ve done loads of running these last three months especially. I’m very keen to get the season underway soon.”
Andersen becomes the fourth confirmed signing for the new season alongside Michael Palm Toft, Chris Harris and Bradley Wilson-Dean – all familiar faces.
And he says things can only get better after everything went wrong for the Crendon Panthers in their first season back in the top flight.
He said: “The team suffered a nightmare 2019 with possibly all of the 1-7 out injured and some of us even twice so it was tough.
“But – and this is important to say - motivation was never any problem as I really enjoyed being at Peterborough and to be together with the great bunch of team-mates I had.”
Danish star Andersen is also ready to put behind him the toughest year of his life on a personal basis.
“2019 has undoubtedly been the hardest year throughout my whole life,” he said. “Saying goodbye to four close relationships within six months, one being my dad, was really heartbreaking and my bad injuries on top of all this mentally broke me.
“It’s now 2020 and I’m keener than ever to get back in the saddle and race, for me it’s all about the future now and I’m not looking back.”
Panthers boss Carl Johnson is delighted to welcome Andersen back.
He said: “The season didn’t start well for him with losing his dad, and really the whole year was a write-off for him with injuries and also losing a good friend and sponsor which really hit him mentally - and we all know it’s hard to be the rider that you want to be when you’re not right mentally.
“But I’m really glad he’s back this season. I think on his average he’s a steal, and I know there was a lot of interest in him, but he did only want to come back to Peterborough.
“We all know what he can do, he’s a massive fans’ favourite and he’s also a really good team man which is even more important.”