David Mirfin cannot hide his delight at being back at Scunthorpe United.

A summer move to Watford has not quite worked out as hoped, and he is happy to return north and, hopefully, to first-team football.

There was, he says, no other club he would have gone to.

Glanford Park is where he spent 'the best three years' of his career. He couldn't be happier.

That is, until you remind him of his Iron debut first time around.

In an ironic twist of fate, the 26-year-old defender could begin his second Scunthorpe spell against the same opponents as his first.

Having joined the club a few days earlier, Mirfin stepped out against Walsall on August 16, 2008 eager to make a good impression.

That lasted all of 10 minutes as a foul on Jabo Ibehre resulted in a red card and United saw a one goal lead turn into a 2-1 defeat.

"I'd kind of blocked that out, but people keep reminding me," joked the Yorkshireman, who has joined his former club on loan until the end of the season. "My wife reminded me of it, and that was the first thing Togs (Sam Togwell) said to me!

"It went a little bit better after that, but hopefully history won't repeat itself tomorrow."

Instead, Mirfin is hoping to reproduce the solid, reliable defending he became renowned for and which prompted manager Alan Knill to come calling.

"When I knew about the interest and then found out Watford would let me go out, there was only really one club I wanted to come back to," he said.

"It's been easy to settle in, knowing the majority of the lads, and as I said at the end of last season, I love working under Alan Knill. Getting another chance to do that, I couldn't turn it down.

"It's not been that long really since I left, but equally I couldn't imagine coming back.

"But when the phone calls started happening, I was really looking forward to it.

"I spent three years here, and probably the best three years of my career. Every memory was good, so I'm really happy to be back.

"There are quite a lot of aspects to this move. On a personal level it's to get games and get my fitness again, help Scunthorpe get up the table and hopefully get a positive message about how I've been playing back to Watford, then they can maybe think, 'there's still a future for him'."

Thus far, the future at his parent club has looked somewhat bleak.

Mirfin has featured just five times in the Championship this term, with even a place on the bench sometimes proving a stretch too far.

"I went in and knew I'd be third choice centre-half, the manager (Sean Dyche) said, 'you are coming in as competition'," he said.

"I got my chance, played three games but as a team we didn't do that well and he got someone in and said, 'I've had to change it, so I'm going to change you'.

"That was September time and I've either been on the bench or not in the squad since then.

"It's been very frustrating, but equally I think I've been lucky before that I've always played, wherever I've been. I've never really been in that position.

"I've just had to be patient, keep my head down and keep working hard. Luckily now something's come up that's hopefully going to benefit me and benefit Scunthorpe as well."

Mirfin has kept in touch with several at the club since his departure, with United's one of the first results he looks for on a Saturday.

Iron boss Knill this week described him as 'the one player we didn't want to leave', but looking to reduce the wage bill, and with a number of centre-halves already at the club admitted there was really no other option.

"At the time I left, I think a lot of people presumed I'd have everything lined up," the former Huddersfield man said.

"But it wasn't literally until a week before I signed at Watford, before that I'd had no club come in, no offers. It was starting to get a bit worrying.

"Then literally within a week I'd signed and started pre-season.

"It was sad to be leaving Scunthorpe, but I kind of thought it was the right time for me to take a chance and take a bit of a risk.

"You want to stay at the highest level you can, and that was my chance.

"Come the end of the season, me and Murph (goalkeeper Joe Murphy) were in the same boat, the club didn't try offering us anything because I think they presumed we would have a chance of staying in the Championship.

"There was never really an option in the end to stay.

"But in a way they kind of said, 'thank you, have a chance of staying in the Championship'.

"Obviously it was a sad time to be leaving but at the same time, it was hopefully going to be the start of another chapter.

"I've spoken to my wife and family and friends and the question's always been asked, do you regret leaving?

"I've kind of said, I think I would have regretted more not going to Watford and trying it than if I'd have stayed and thought 'what if'.

"I can at least say I've tried it. It's not really worked out at the moment, but now I've got a chance to be playing again so I'm happy about that."