Lewis returned to the squad for the first time away at Sheffield United last week and played the full 90 minutes last night as City got their first Championship win of the season at home against Preston North End.

Lewis said: “It’s brilliant to be back. It wasn’t great to be beat by Sheffield and I thought we deserved more.

“But it’s great to be back on the pitch and good to get our first league win at home against Preston. I just feel at home when I am playing and it’s great to do what I love.

“It’s vital to get some points on the board. Things haven’t gone our way and we haven’t finished some chances, but it is good to back up those good performances with wins to show the fans we are knuckling down in training and we are sticking to our philosophy and getting the points while doing that.”

Lewis was out for pre-season after picking up a leg injury in the first week of training.

He said: “I came in the first week and felt good. I’m quite a pragmatic person so I enjoyed last season, took my strengths and weaknesses and worked on them on the off season, so I was looking to hit the ground running for pre-season. But these things happen in football, you get these little niggles, and after the first week I got a tear in my quad so it was annoying for everyone.

“It’s good to be back and I’m feeling good. I feel like I need a few more games to get full match fitness, just to get my awareness back and the touch back. I haven’t played with some of the players I’ve been playing with too, so it is good to just feel out your teammates.”

And with City’s first win in the bag, Lewis said the team is geared up for Saturday’s home match against Leeds United.

“The last game we played against Leeds at home was special because it was Wes Hoolahan’s last game with us so everyone was really up for it and it was a really great day of football,” he said. “Hopefully we can replicate that atmosphere and togetherness with fans and the players and I think that alone will get us over the line.

“We are looking forward to it. Our first league win was a little turning point in the start of our season and it will be good to rack up some points before the international break, especially with the last game being against Ipswich. So we are looking forward to it and feeling good."

Jamal Lewis is glad to be back in action

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