DAVID Byett may only be 24 but he is hoping to impart some experience into the Basingstoke back line when he returns from injury.

The centre has missed the start of the season with a sprained knee but has been watching from the sidelines and, while he may not exactly be an old head, Byett feels he can add some know-how to the team.

“I am hoping that I will be able to use my experience to settle everyone and calm things down,” he said. “I will be looking to control things and get everyone in the back row really playing as a team.

“The most important thing is to hold on to the ball and not try things that we are not capable of. We have definitely got the skill but we have to slow to it down when we need to.”

Byett sprained his knee in pre-season and cannot wait to get back into action after spending two months away from the game.

“It has just taken so long to heal, which has been really frustrating,” he said. “I find watching from the sidelines really annoying. I have not been able to play a single game yet but it is definitely coming along now.

“Hopefully it will hold out now and I am really glad to be back in training. It’s good to be getting a few hits and I cannot wait to get back playing.”

’Stoke have not had much to cheer so far this season, with a high player turnover in the summer leading to a run of defeats – but Byett has seen enough to make him think that the club will pull clear of the relegation zone.

“The coaches are doing a good job and I believe we can definitely get out of trouble at the bottom of the table,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting it together because a couple of wins will take us right up the table.

“The guys are starting games really well but we just seem unable to hold on. While we have not been getting the results, we have got a lot of potential. I have been impressed with the young guys coming in. They have shown good skills but are quite raw and do not always have the control needed.

“They have great potential though and if you are showing that, it is really positive.

“We just need a settled back line because then everyone will know the system. At the moment, people are stepping in who do not normally play as backs.

“The forwards have been doing really well and, if we had a settled back line, they would take even more confidence and we could go from there.”

One of the changes over the summer saw Junior Paramore arrive as new head club coach – and Byett believes the squad can learn a lot from the former Samoan World Cup star.

“Junior is a really nice bloke and a good coach,” Byett added. “He has got great experience and it is just about whether the players are able to take that on. He has played to World Cup standard so he knows what it is all about and we have just got to take everything he says on board.”

Byett is hoping to return to the first team squad for Saturday’s home game against Diss – and he says that the game is one Basingstoke must be looking to win.

“All home games are must-win for us – even when we come up against the teams at the top of the table,” he said. “I am hoping to be in the squad on Saturday but I know I must prove that I am match fit before I get selected.”