Maverick England first five-eighth Danny Cipriani is returning to his former club Wasps in a bid to revive his international career.
The 28-year-old will leave Sale Sharks at the end of the season to join Wasps, a more high-profile club where he will hope to get the chance to impress new England coach Eddie Jones.
"I'm excited about returning to Wasps next season. For me, it really does feel like coming home," Cipriani told the Wasps website on Tuesday.
"In the professional era, players naturally move clubs more frequently than they used to, but I still feel such a strong connection with Wasps. It's where I learned my trade."
Cipriani, a gifted and exciting attacking player but whose defensive qualities have been questioned, has played 14 times for England and was named in their provisional World Cup squad last year.
He did not make the final cut, however, and was involved in a heated training-ground argument with England backs coach Mike Catt, one of a number of incidents that have dogged Cipriani's career.
He played for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby in 2011 and was dropped following his behaviour off the field.
Wasps coach Dai Young is building a strong squad following the club's relocation to Coventry from London in 2014 and they have reached the quarter-finals of this season's European Champions Cup.
"Everyone knows how talented a player Danny is and how much his game has developed since he made such an impact for England at a young age," Young said.
"As well as his obvious attacking attributes, Danny has matured as a player and controls the game well as a 10. At 28, there is still plenty more to come from him."
Reuters
