BRIAN SMIKLE spoke after Friday's 2-2 draw with West Brom at Aggborough about how he feels he's improved 'massively' during his time at the club.
Junior, who is preparing to start his fourth campaign at the club, played a major role in Harriers latest pre-season fixture, putting in a real shift against his former employers.
Catching up with your official website straight after the game, he said: "It was good - there aren't too many there I know now but they are a good set of lads and they played well, and I thought we did as well.
"We never underestimated them just because they were a young side, we knew they would be very good on and off the ball and, to be fair they did have a bit of that physicality too.
"A few of them were big and strong and we knew when they got the ball they weren't going to give it a way often but we dug in deep and I thought we should have won the game."
A ten goal season last term was by far Smikle's best return in a Harriers shirt, a real transformation from his 'super sub' role of the previous two campaigns.
He agrees he's happy with his recent progress, but there's little sign yet that we've seen the last of his development - and improvement.
"I think my end product has massively improved since I've been at Kidderminster, especially over the last year or so," he adds.
"My goal tally improved itself last year and along with that my whole game has come on as well, I feel as though I've come on a level.
"I'm just here to keep assisting the strikers, and whoever else wants to get on the end of the ball."
So a pre-season unbeaten run stretched to six games with last night's draw, all very good for the confidence.
But it must be transferred into league action when Hayes and Yeading come to down to kick of the new Blue Square Premier campaign in two weeks.
"It's good to get that unbeaten mentality going into the new season and it will definitely help," concurs Smikle.
"We seem to have a bit of an opening day jinx down here and we're hoping we can put that right in a couple of weeks."
