New Cheshire Phoenix head coach Robbie Peers is relishing the ‘big challenge’ confronting him - and vowed to work ‘24/7’ to help turn the club’s fortunes around.

The British Basketball League (BBL) legend oversees his first match since returning to take over the Nix reins away to high-flying Leicester Riders on Saturday (7.45pm tip-off).

Cheshire will make the trip to the second-placed Lions having won only four of their 15 BBL Championship matches so far this season.

That poor form led Nix bosses to parting company with Colin O’Reilly and approaching Peers about making a sensational return.

And it was one the 52-year-old, the greatest coach in the club’s history, was only too happy to take on.

Peers, who won six trophies in his first spell in charge of the Ellesmere Port and Chester club at the turn of the century, said: “It’s a big challenge.

“But I’m happy to be here and I’m looking forward to working with the guys.

“First of all we have to build a strong coaching team and Mike Burton, James Brice and Ben Thomas and I are going to develop that as we’ve got a lot of work to do with the players.

Robbie Peers celebrates winning the BBL play-off final with the Chester Jets

“The response from the players has been excellent the first four days I’ve been here. We’re training twice a day, we’re lifting weights as a team, we’re doing our film sessions and our scouting reports, and trying to emphasise we are a team.

“I’ve got no magic wand. We’re all going to play our roles and our parts and week by week we’re going to move forward.”

Peers certainly had the magic touch during his first spell with the club, when it was known as Chester Jets.

He won six trophies in three seasons including a clean sweep of honours in the memorable 2001-02 campaign.

Peers, who boasts a winning record of 229-146, left the club in 2003 to take charge of London Towers. He has since remained in the capital on business.

But Peers, a former England international who represented Chester Jets in his playing days, said: “An opportunity arose that I could devote three months here. I’ve got my business in London so I reorganised that.

“I’m here, I’m committed, it’s 24/7, and it’s a great opportunity to come back and try and give something back to the club.

“The club was great to me so I’m here, rolling my sleeves up, trying to get some work done.”