FLYING winger Nathan Smart says he would not have signed a new contract without thinking that Basingstoke Town could challenge for honours next season.

Smart, who has impressed in his first season at The Camrose, became the first player to sign up for the 2011/12 season when he put pen to paper on a new deal last month.

He is already excited about next season and thinks that a couple of decent summer additions could make for a good campaign.

“I am looking forward to next year,” he said. “If we keep the majority of the squad and get a few more bodies in we could give it a good go. If I had not thought that I would not have signed.

“It was definitely a confidence boost when I was asked to sign for next year. It shows that the management think I deserve it with my performances.”

Smart joined the club from Ryman League outfit Fleet Town last summer and has been an instant hit. Most observers will have expected him to provide cover but his performances have made him a fixture on the right wing.

“I possibly expected to be on the bench a bit longer but I was aiming high and just worked hard,” he said.

“I got a bit more playing time than I thought I would and I have been pretty pleased with the way that everything has gone.

“It is a big step up but I always thought I would be able to do it.”

Smart might have been playing for the Town first team earlier had things worked out for him when he was a member of the club’s youth set-up.

“I played for the youth team until I was 16 and I’m not sure why it didn’t work out for me here before,” he added.

“I was a bit of a hothead when I was younger though but I have tempered that now.”

While Smart may be having a good season personally, the same cannot be said for the team as a whole, with |another mid-table finish looking likely.

“It has been frustrating because we know we are a good side and players,” Smart said. “It has just not happened for us, especially in the second half of the season.

“It looked like we had picked up after Christmas but everyone is disappointed because we know we can do more. We are targeting three points from every game from now until the end of the season.”

One thing that certainly works in Smart’s favour is his versatility. He has featured mainly on the right wing but has also filled in at right-back and even played periods on the left wing, in central midfield and as a striker.

“I will do whatever I am asked,” he said. “I was brought here as a right sided player and spent time at right-back but I think my best position is on the right wing.”