TANER Adu has revealed why he decided to swap Essex Pirates for the Plymouth Raiders.

Adu caught the eye for the Southend based side last season as he scored close to 600 points.But he has now opted to depart.

“It is a fresh test for me in an organisation which is having a fresh start with them appointing a new head coach,” said Adu.

“They also have a great following, one of the best in England and their home court is fantastic.

“I really enjoyed playing against them there. As well as that they came highly recommended by former players like Dean Williams and Haggai Hundert who I was with at the Pirates.”

Despite that, Adu – who scored a buzzer beating three pointer to help Pirates beat Plymouth last March – admitted it took him a while to make up his mind.

“It was a really tough decision because I loved my time at the Pirates where I met some lovely people who showed so much support for a first year team,” said Adu. Also leaving a coach like Tim (Lewis) is hard because I’ve learnt so much from him and feel he has made me a better player.

“He gave me a real chance this year to prove myself in the BBL and for that am very grateful.

“It’s a great thing Tim is trying to do and I wish him the best of luck in the future.”

Adu is now targeting a place in the play-offs with Plymouth.

But he has not ruled out one day making a return to Pirates.

“There were a lot of highs and lows, obviously losing that many games was hard but it did make our wins even sweeter,” said Adu.

“I did want to stay and help the team be successful but things don’t always work out. I do hope Tim leaves the door open for me though and you never know I may just be a Pirate again in the future.”

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