KYLE Howarth is the Sheffield captain for the new season which starts in May.

The Manchester-born racer won the Championship with Tigers in 2017 and has stayed with the club for their move into the top flight.

He’s currently in training ready for the new campaign with a Tigers side which looks very different to that which was planned for the cancelled 2020 season.

He said: “There’s a lot of experience at Sheffield with riders who can score big points and obviously I’ve ridden for them before so I know what to expect.

“When you look at the team it’s a strong one, with bringing Batch (Troy Batchelor) and Adam (Ellis) in, Sedgy (Justin Sedgmen) coming back and then we have James Wright with lots of experience, which is great, and also Josh Bates at reserve who can really bang points in at Sheffield.

“There’s no reason why this team can’t be pushing for a semi-final or final spot for sure, but obviously we know what can happen in speedway!

“I do feel Sheffield have put a great team together, and for me it’s going to be an exciting year to look forward to.

“They’ve done really well to put the team together like they have with the changes forced upon them.”

TruPlant Tigers co-promoter Damien Bates believes Howarth is the ideal choice as skipper.

“He’s been with the club a while now and knows us all well,” he said. “He’s popular with the supporters and he is getting better as a rider.

“He’s a character who is good for team spirit. He’s determined and he’ll urge the rest of the team on to try and achieve big things.

“The team looks strong, but it’s all about what happens out there on the track and not what looks good on paper.”