IRISH LEAGUE 21 UNDER 21: Former Watford and Crystal Palace youngster determined to 'right the wrongs' after starting new Irish League season on winning note

Steele, who spent time in the youth ranks at Crystal Palace, enjoyed a season of personal progress last term but the club struggled for results, eventually finishing 10th in the Championship – 14 points adrift of ninth-placed Ballinamallard United – after winning only nine of 38 matches, but did have one major high by beating Crusaders in the Irish Cup.

That disappointment provided fuel for Steele and his Ards teammates throughout the summer and with 2024/25 acting like a fresh start, they kicked off in fine style as Zach Barr netted on debut before Steele and Ross Hunter chipped in against the second-tier newcomers at the Showgrounds.

"We underperformed last year and the supporters deserve so much more than what we gave them,” said Steele. “I can only imagine how the supporters felt watching what they did last season week in, week out.

"The team we have this year can show them we mean business this year and I felt like we need to prove everyone wrong and ourselves right that we are a good team and hopefully that can shoot us up the table. The biggest driving factor is to right the wrongs of last year.

"We owe it to ourselves more than anything else...we don't want people speaking badly about us and how we're playing. We need to show people how good we can be on a consistent basis and hopefully that will be shown throughout the season.

"The biggest thing for me is improving my performances to a level which will help the team get results. I scored a few goals last season but also missed a lot of chances, so this year I want to score more and show up in the bigger games, the games which impact where you'll finish at the end of season."

The 21-year-old made his move across the water to Watford from Crusaders in 2018 and switched to Premier League outfit Palace the following year, representing the Eagles’ U18 and U21 sides before returning to Seaview.

After enjoying a loan spell at Ards, Steele made the transfer permanent ahead of last season and while it was initially tough transitioning back into the Irish League, the talented midfielder chose to focus on positives rather than the negatives.

"Being in that setup and a professional environment like that really guides you throughout your life,” he added. “The players you play with every single day only bring the best out of you because you need to be at a certain level physically, mentally and tactically every day to compete with some of the best players in the country at that age group.

"It was hard at first (coming back) but I've always kept in contact with everyone over here and it was great coming back to my family. Once you get into the swing of things and how you want to approach your life going in a new direction and come to terms with it, it's really good. I love living in Belfast and that helps when you're adjusting back into life here.

"I'm playing football every few days at a good level, playing with people I really like and I love the team. I just love the camaraderie of football and no matter what happens that will never be taken away from me because I love coaching, playing and the game itself. That helps when you come back too because I know I'll never lose the love for the sport."