Lewis Bridger insists he has grown up and is ready to complete his season in style with Eastbourne Eagles.

The Arlington club have crossed their fingers, taken a deep breath and offered him another chance.

All of which means Bridger, who was kicked out of the pits last Saturday and told he was going on loan to a Premier League track, returns against Poole tomorrow.

Eagles fans who suffered their way through defeat by Ipswich, and who fear a feeble end to the season, will be hoping this possibly fragile truce can bring rewards for both team and rider.

Starting with a win over the mighty Pirates, which would go some way to restoring lost pride.

Bridger’s move down to the second tier is off. Not that the rider himself would have joined a PL side anyway.

He appeared to have been axed on Monday after a bust-up with co-promoter Martin Hagon and skipper Lee Richardson 48 hours earlier as Eagles were losing to the Witches.

By Tuesday night, the strong-minded teenager had decided he was going nowhere and was making a point by winning the Jason Bunyan Testimonial Pairs, alongside Edward Kennett on Isle of Wight’s ultra-fast track.

Come Wednesday afternoon, Bridger had been called into the Elite League Riders Championship in place of Richardson.

Bridger took the pro-active step of calling The Argus while en route to Birmingham for that meeting and, maturely, pointing out a few facts.

Firstly, he said, you could forget the Premier League. He would be at Eastbourne for the rest of the season.

Hagon was happy to confirm Bridger would still be on board. But he might just be a bit nervous when the teenager who was once the hottest young property in British speedway – and still could be again – goes to tapes for heat one against the Pirates.

Bridger said: “Martin thinks riding in the Premier League will make me grow up and give me more confidence but I’ve told him I’ll learn to be more professional by staying in the Elite.

“Premier League people are not as serious. About 40% are but the rest are having a bit of fun.

“Me and Eddie went to Isle of Wight on Tuesday and won the Pairs.

“We had a 5-1 over Chris Holder and I beat Mads Korneliusson. It just shows we should have been in the (Elite League) Pairs on Sunday.

“Martin pulled me out because of the argument we had. Maybe we said a few things we should not have said.

“I’ll be there this Saturday and we will sit down and have a good chat.

“It’s all part of growing up. I need to mature a little bit and maybe keep calmer. Maybe last Saturday taught me a bit about that.

“I have had three or four bad meetings. If I just came in after that and said nothing it would show I didn’t care about it. I just don’t want to be riding like I was.”

Hagon liked what he heard. If Bridger sorts out his form, his equipment, his social life and his time-keeping, the Eagles boss will have emerged with credit from this episode, without having cut off his own nose to spite his face.

The real test will come at tapes up tomorrow.

Or maybe it will be at about 9pm this evening, if Bridger is invited for a night out in town and suddenly has to decide how much he wants to be a speedway rider.

Hagon said: “Sometimes when you talk to Lewis he is very convincing but hopefully he has learned from his mistake.

“I spoke to Eddie and he said Lewis was a lot better on Tuesday.

“He has got to grow up and cannot continue to do some of the things he does. Hopefully this was the wake up call he needed.

“He is not invincible. We could have made changes.

“There have been other promising youngsters who failed to make the most of their talent.”

Bridger is adamant he will need to get away from Eastbourne at some stage to further his career though he says that need not be now or even next season.

While Hagon feels Bridger should cut back on his international commitments, the rider himself wants more overseas bookings and could feature for Polish leaders Czestochowa on Sunday.

Asked why he would not ride in the Premier League, Bridger cited the lack of air fences as a key reason.

Bridger has been getting to know the air fences of the Elite League rather too well recently. He owes a few people some decent performances in the coming weeks. Starting against the Pirates.