Mark Stafford insists his return to Ballinamallard will be a battle and he is determined to help the club win promotion back to the Irish Premiership.
The 34-year-old captained the Mallards during their previous stint in the top-flight before joining Linfield in the summer of 2015.
After four league titles and two Irish Cup successes, Stafford left the Blues due to their switch to full-time model and is now back at Ferney Park, via a stint at Glenavon.
“I always wanted to finish my career at Ballinamallard – where it all started for me,” Stafford – who returned to the County Fermanagh outfit last week – told Match on Tuesday.
“This is not just a nice homecoming because I have come here to work and to help the club push on and win promotion.
“It means a lot to play for your home club, but I did not want to come here when I was finished as a player, I wanted to be able to return when I could still offer something.
“There is a lot of responsibility for me to adapt straight away to this team and to help players around me and that was similar when I left the club for Linfield.
“Before, there was the pressure of being a club captain in a relegation battle whereas now there is the expectation of helping these players make the next step up to the top league.”
Harry McConkey’s side have become somewhat of a production line for talented teenager players to develop with many joining Irish Premiership clubs in recent years.
The addition of Stafford adds steel to a side who are currently sitting in a promotion playoff spot in the Championship.
The defender added: “There are quite a few players here who have never played in the Premiership or played in those stadiums.
“These guys don’t just have the talent but they have that hunger to earn their place at that table.
“The club have all the facilities to be a Premiership club and it is just a case of having a team on the pitch who can fulfil that ambition.
“It’s tough for young players to impress in the Championship; it’s the nature of the league with tight pitches and physical matches.”
Stafford enjoyed his second Mallards debut in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Ballyclare.
“Saturday is what the Championship is all about – every game is a battle and a struggle,” he continued.
“Dixon Park is such a difficult venue – no matter if you are with Ballinamallard or Linfield – and the pitch with the weather made it really difficult.
“I knew the challenge of this division before I returned, and the Championship is not a league were you can dominate games – every team is hungry and competitive.
“We could finish top of the league this season or finish sixth so we need to dig in and get a consistent run of results in the final few months of the campaign.”
