SOUTHEND United new boy Michael Kightly will be looking to ‘step things up’ when the Shrimpers visit Bishop’s Stortford tonight.

The winger - who opted to return to Roots Hall this summer - played the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 win at Braintree Town.

And Kightly hopes to feature for longer this evening as he continues to enjoy lining up in a Southend shirt again.

“It was a nice feeling to get the shirt on again and hopefully I’ll be able to push things on and play for longer tonight,” said the 31-year-old.

“Pre-season is all about nudging things along in the build up to getting underway and I feel like it’s going well.

“I did some work during the summer but it was mainly straight line running to stay fit.

“When you start adding in twisting and turning plus the work on the ball your body starts to feel a bit stiff but everyone is the same in pre-season.

“I’m not a million miles off it at the moment but I’m still not at the level I want to be.

“The game tonight will obviously help and I’ll be doing everything the fitness coach and the gaffer want me to do to make sure I’m in the best shape possible come the first game of the season against Blackburn Rovers.”

By then, the Shrimpers squad will hope to be in top shape and Kightly is already feeling settled in his new surroundings.

The winger has been impressed by the spirit of the group but that togetherness has not come as a surprise to Kightly.

“Before coming in, I did my research on the lads and everything I heard was very positive,” said Kightly.

“If you come into a dressing room which is divided then I think it can have a big impact on what happens on the pitch.

“But that’s not the case here and I’ve been made to feel very welcome in what is a really good group of lads.”

Kightly - who came through the youth ranks with Blues before leaving in 2005 - will again line-up alongside his new team-mates tonight.

And the game will again bring back memories for the winger.

“Everything seems to be triggering flashbacks for me at the moment and this game will be no different,” said Kightly.

“I played at Braintree when I was about 15 for Basildon United so that brought back some memories and tonight will as well as I played there for Wolves a few years ago now.

“It will be good to get another game under my belt but it’s just about fitness.”