BURNLEY’S Neil Hodgson makes his return to the British Superbike Championship in Monday’s first round at Brands Hatch, hoping this will not be the final season of an already remarkable career.

Hodgson added the World Superbike Championship title in 2003 to his British crown in 2000, and this weekend marks a comeback on the domestic scene after five years in the American Superbike series.

At 36 years of age, Hodgson says he does not intend to continue too much longer in the sport he has loved for so long.

This year could be his last, but if all goes well – and a second British title is his ultimate goal with the Motorpoint Yamaha team – he might just be tempted to race on for a little longer.

“I’m just going to take it year by year,” he said.

“I started when I was 16 and I’m now 36, but mentally I feel about 22 and physically I’m as fit as I was when I was 22.

“If I can enjoy my racing this year and be successful, the enjoyment’s a big factor. If it’s not enjoyable, I’ll probably retire.

“But if it all goes to plan and we manage to win the championship, or certainly be competitive and right in the hunt, I could carry on for a couple more years.

“You’re a long time retired.”

If enjoyment and a return to winning ways are two of his goals for 2010, then so is winning back the fans who accused him of deserting them when he moved across the Atlantic, with his heart set on becoming the first man to win British, world and American titles – something he ultimately could not achieve.

“A lot of my fans said I’d let them down and turned my back on them, which was strange because I’d set myself a goal to win the American championship,” said Hodgson.

“I’d not thought about turning my back on anybody. I was trying to make a living and financially it was better for me to go to America for a while.

“I don’t feel guilty about that, but probably one of the reasons I’ve come back is to give a little bit back to the fans I’ve had over the years.”

The parallels with Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula 1 are hard to ignore, and Hodgson knows similarly he will have to deal with high expectations.

“There are all these young kids now and you’ve got a target on your back, but I quite like that,” he said.

“I’m maybe not expecting to come out firing on all cylinders in the first round, but I think I’m going to improve throughout the year.

“I wouldn’t want to waste anyone’s time if I didn’t really believe in myself.

“Some riders race for their own reasons, just because they’re scared to do something else in life.

“I’m racing because I want to race and I want to win.”

The first two races of the season will take place at the Kent circuit at 1.15pm and 4.20pm on Monday, live on British Eurosport 2.