Bermuda Hogges new-boy Takeyhi Walker is confident he will be fighting fit for the start the PDL season after missing much of Boulevard's domestic campaign because of niggling injuries.

The powerhouse striker has been out of action since November with knee and ankle knocks and was forced to watch from the sidelines as Blazers slipped down the standings.

Although he missed Bermuda Under-23s matches against Trinidad, Walker has made regular appearances at national academy training sessions and cannot wait to get stuck into PDL defences.

"I am at 50 percent fit at the moment and I haven't really touched a ball in six months, so it feels good to be back on the pitch," said Walker, who trained for the Hogges on Tuesday night.

"I should be quite close to full fitness by the time the season actually starts depending on how much work I get in, including my own work on the side. I should be back by the time the first game rolls across.

"The people at the football association kept me updated about what was going on when I was injured so I wasn't too surprised I was included.

"They were calling and checking up on me and had me in physiotherapy and so forth, so it's good that I'm close to coming back.

"I always had it in the back of my mind that I would be in the team."

Walker was one of Blazers' standout performers during their 2008-9 season which saw them win the FA Cup and finish strongly in the league.

He is now looking forward to playing "out of his comfort zone" by testing himself against overseas opposition.

"It feels good to play for the Hogges because we won't be able to rest in our comfort zone," he said.

"We will be playing at a higher level against players that want to prove something.

"We have the talent here but we don't get to play foreign teams to really gauge ourselves, so this is a good thing for us to go and get some more experience."