Teenage speedway prospect Nathan Greaves is the only one piling pressure on himself ahead of his first taste of Premier League speedway.

The Sheffield-born pocket rocket only turned 17 on Tuesday but already has two years of National League experience under his belt and Workington will hope he can use the element of surprise to his advantage in his debut Comets season.

He said: “The club haven’t put any pressure on me but I’ll put it on myself because I don’t want to let anyone down.

“I know Workington are a decent team and are always up in the play-off places.

“I don’t like to set myself goals so I’ll just go out to do my best and whatever happens, happens.”

Greaves had resigned himself to just another National League campaign with Cradley Heath before a visa crackdown in British speedway left Comets two riders short and the call came soon after. He will continue to ride for Cradley this season but admitted the offer to double-up with Workington was too good to turn down.

“I’d had a few offers from other Premier League clubs and turned them down because I thought they weren’t the right move for me,” he said.

“Then with the visa problems I found a spot at Workington and I just had to take it.

“I haven’t been up to the track or ridden with the guys yet but Sam Ermolenko does both mine and Ricky Wells’ bikes so I’ve met him down there before.

“We did some research and asked a few people about the Comets and they all had good things to say.

“It’s also a big track and I’ve been riding a small one for the Heathens so far.

“I prefer bigger tracks but you’ve got to ride on all of them.”

A three-time British under-16 speedway champion, the Yorkshireman’s tender years belie his experience.

Snapped up by Cradley as soon as he turned 15 after impressing in grasstrack racing, Nathan has already made an impression in his two seasons there so far.

He said: “My dad did motocross so I asked him for one of those bikes and did grasstrack racing on that, which is very similar to speedway apart from obviously the track.

“I wanted to have a go at speedway so I went up to Scunthorpe, had a go round there and immediately preferred it.

“It’s not been easy but I’ve done quite well and improved each year.

“I don’t think I have a certain style, if I have to go around the outside that’s what I’ll do. It depends who’s in front of you, how big the track is.

“I’d like to make this my last year in the National League and step up to the Premier League full-time next season but we’ll see how it goes.”

Meanwhile, Greaves will compete at the British U21 semi-final at Mildenhall in Suffolk on April 5, while fellow Comets rider Kyle Howarth is one of the seeded riders for the final in Coventry on April 14.