New recruit Jon Clarke has spoken of his desire to help bring success to Sixways – after agreeing a summer switch to Warriors from Northampton Saints.
The midfield playmaker, 28, has been a huge success at Saints since he joined the Academy at Franklin's Gardens in 2003 – he has gone on to play 165 games for Northampton and over a hundred in the top-flight of English rugby.
Clarke was named Young Player of the Year in 2003/04, normally operating at full back, before a switch to centre in 2005 saw his career hit new highs.
The attacking centre was also hugely significant for Saints during the 2009/10 season with his nine tries in all competitions the second highest tally in the squad, and his play alongside James Downey earned him a call from the England Saxons for their Six Nations games against Ireland and Italy.
After passing a century of Saints appearances in a Heineken Cup match with Benetton Treviso, Clarke retained his place in the Saxons squad that went on to win the 2010 Churchill Cup in Denver, USA.
Sheffield-born Clarke – who played in the Heineken Cup final last season against Leinster having scored a memorable try against Perpignan in the semi-final – will now move over the Midlands to Worcester and believes the time is right for a new challenge.
He said: “This is a new challenge for me as I prepare to move to a new club after a long and hugely enjoyable spell at Northampton Saints.
“I felt I needed a change and I spoke to Richard Hill and was really impressed by his vision and also the set-up at the club. I feel I can play a role in the club moving up another level and want to learn new things and develop.
“Worcester are a team that have a lot of good players and many of the key men in the squad have resigned, which is always a good sign a shows the belief in the dressing room.
“The fans at Northampton have been amazing to me and I have many friends and fond memories of my time at Saints. Obviously I now want the Saints to have a big finish to the season.
“When I leave I know I am joining a club where there is great support again and the city of Worcester is a real rugby city, something I always had at Northampton, and that backing excites me.
“The quality of players being brought in just shows the expectation to improve and I want to be part of that.”
"This is a new challenge for me as I prepare to move to a new club after a long and hugely enjoyable spell at Northampton Saints…"