Adam Shields could have ridden his way to an Elite League contract with Eastbourne Eagles at Arlington Stadium on Saturday night.

The 25-year-old Australian, who paid his own way to England in a bid to hit the big time, thrilled the fans with a storming display on his debut as the league leaders put the King's Lynn Knights to the sword.

Afterwards a delighted Eastbourne boss Jon Cook said: "I think he is going to be a brilliant rider with a great future. He is very interested in coming here and I will be sitting down with him and making him an offer."

Cook revealed the club had agreed a deal with Shields during the winter which would have allowed him to ride this season for his Premier League team, the Isle of Wight, while doubling up with Eagles in the top flight.

"Then the rule was changed so the arrangement only applied to British riders, so I had to phone Adam in Australia and tell him we couldn't do it."

Shields, who is currently being tracked by several of the top clubs, is likely to delay a permanent move into the big league.

At the moment he is enjoying the best of both worlds with a succession of guest appearances in the Elite League while rattling up the points with the Islanders and Cook admitted: "I think it will happen later rather than sooner with Adam."

Cook, however, knows an exciting prospect when he sees one and enthused: "You saw tonight what a terrific crowd-pleaser he is. I thought he was unlucky in his last ride. If he had won that one, he would have brought the house down."

Shields finished the night with a paid nine points, which included his first win in Eastbourne's colours, as Eagles raced to a 58-32 victory to keep them ahead of the pack.

It was a comprehensive win by a team minus three of their title-chasing squad, Dean Barker, Stefan Andersson and Toni Svab, and with Joe Screen and David Norris less than 100 per cent fit.

Not that you would have known it because for the most part Eagles made it look like a case of men against boys.

Nicki Pedersen was magnificent for the visitors, winning five races on the bounce, while Freddie Eriksson plugged away to good effect. In the end they accounted for all but five of King's Lynn's points between them.

Norris was Eastbourne's top gun, despite not having fully recovered from a stomach bug, ending with a paid 17 points from six rides, his only defeat coming at the hands of Pedersen in the finale. There were also double-figure returns for Screen, Mark Loram and long-track maestro Kelvin Tatum, who is currently chasing his fourth world crown while topping the Premier League averages with Arena Essex.

Eastbourne: David Norris 14, Joe Screen 11, Mark Loram 10, Kelvin Tatum 10, Adaam Shields 7,Savalas Clouting 6. Bonus points: Norris 3, Loram 3, Shields 2, Clouting 1.

King's Lynn: Nicki Pedersen 16, Freddie Eriksson 11, Travis McGowan 3, Emil Kramer 1, Leigh Lanham 1, Tom Madsen 0. Bonus point: McGowan 1.