Nakia Smith is again proving that there?s ?no place like than home?.

After breaking ranks at North Village nearly seven years ago, the 29-year-old striker is back ? and looking sharper than ever.

Playing in his first match with the Reds since transferring from Somerset Eagles, Smith provided Village fans with perhaps a glimpse of even bigger and better things to come as he scored his team?s opening goal in last Sunday?s 2-1 away over Southampton Rangers.

Smith came up through the Village junior ranks before finally bursting onto the Premier Division scene at the age of 18.

The speedy forward formed part of Village?s Friendship Trophy winning teams in the 1990s and then went on to help Wolves to Martonmere Cup and Dudley Eve championships before heading West to Eagles for a two-year stint.

By his own admission, last season was one the striker would prefer to forget as a freak off-season injury continually plagued the player.

But having finally shrugged off the effects of that injury, Smith now hopes to rediscover some of the magic that once made him one of the most feared strikers in the league.

?Last year I tore ligaments in my left ankle and fractured a bone in a tournament (six-a-side) at Southampton Glebe School,? said Smith.

?I was nowhere near being one hundred percent last season. I just tried my best to give the team (Eagles) what services I could and pretty much played injured. I just went through the motions.?

But a change of scenery and being reunited with old colleagues seems to have given the striker a new lease on life.

?It feels good to be back and very promising and I?m looking forward to the rest of the season,? said Smith, whose timing could not have been better for Village as the Reds prepare to come up against Premier Division leaders Dandy Town for the fourth time in three months on Sunday.

Village have won two of three meetings so far, including last month?s Martonmere Cup final.

?Right now I?m feeling fairly fit,? continued Smith, son of former Dandy Town all-rounder Leroy (Curly Joe) Wilson.

?But fitness and match fitness are two completely different things. So right now I?m still building up my match fitness,? he added.

The striker hopes to form a lethal partnership in attack with Reds captain Ralph Bean Jr who continues to follow in his father?s famed footsteps.

?The link-up is nice and I really look forward to the rest of the season. On Sunday everybody kept their eyes on Ralph and forgot about me,? Smith said with a smile.

?It?s absolutely great playing with him (Bean) along with Kevin (Jennings), Keith (Jennings) and Vernon (Tankard).?

Though pleased to be back at Bernard Park, Smith admitted the decision to sever ties at Eagles was a difficult one.

?A lot of my friends are there (White Hill) and so it was a difficult decision to make,? he said. ?But I think I only have a few more really good seasons in me and my kids haven?t seen me play in a Village jersey yet. So I thought the time was right to come back home.

?I?m not getting any younger and so I thought it best to move onto the next level in my career.?

Having quickly rediscovered his scoring touch, Smith has set himself goals he hopes to achieve by season?s end ? to net 13 goals and try to win the two trophies (FA Cup and Premier Division championship) that have so far eluded him.

?Right now things are looking very promising here at Village . . . although only time will tell,? said Smith.