Top scorer Monir Kalgoum has agreed to return to Milton Keynes Lightning next season – a major boost to the club’s hopes of retaining the English Premier League title.

The 26-year-old Swede bagged an impressive 92 points – 35 goals and 57 assists – for Lightning last term, including some vital goals in key games against a number of title challengers.

Kalgoum who joined Lightning at the start of last season from Austrian club, Kapfenburg, was one of four signings announced by player coach, Nick Poole, at Lightning supporters club’s annual meeting on Thursday.

Poole also revealed that netminding duo Barry Hollyhead and Alex Mettam will again be in between the pipes while fiery Scot, Grant McPherson, will return for a fifth successive campaign.

It brings the total number of signings announced so far to 12. In addition local lad Jamie Line, signed for Milton Keynes Thunder will also be available to Lightning after returning to the city from a season with Basingstoke Bison.

One player not returning is Ross Bowers who is switching to Thunder.

Poole said of Kalgoum: “Monir is one of the best players in the league and is certainly the best centreman in the EPL. He’s a very strong, solid player and is a major reason why we won the league last year. I’m absolutely delighted he has agreed to return.”

Goalie Mettam, aged 22, proved a more than able deputy to the experienced Hollyhead in his inaugural season with Lightning after signing from Guildford Flames last summer and clearly still has his best years ahead of him.

Telford trained Hollyhead, aged 35, was one of the founding members of Lightning eight years ago and apart from two seasons in the mid-2000s with his home town club, he has been a mainstay of the roster ever since.

Poole said that while Hollyhead may not be the flashiest goalie in the league he is one of the most reliable – returning a 91.76 per cent save average last season.

G-man – McPherson – played an important role as agitator last year, something which perhaps reduced his scoring opportunities to five goals and eight assists.

Another question on signings  posed from Supporters Club members was about the rumour of the return of forward Gary Clarke, Harry Howton said  we would love to have Gary back at Milton Keynes , he is a great player and proved this by his fantastic goals at the Coventry Finals this year . Nick confirmed he had spoken to Gary, but then  as you would expect so had a lot of other clubs .

The coach said the aim for next season will again be a top four finish in the league, a place in the Coventry play-off finals weekend and silverware.

“We over-achieved last season so it will be tough to do it again as I expect Slough, Guildford and Manchester will all stronger teams this time,” he said.

Poole and chairman, Harry Howton, had special praise for the supporters club which broke all records  towards supporting the Lightning’s last season – plus in excess of £4,000 for the Help For Heroes campaign.

Howton said without the fantastic help of the supporters club they would not have been able to put out such a competitive team.