Scotland ace Nikki Walker is determined to put his Rugby World Cup injury frustration behind him and believes his summer switch to Warriors will give his career a fresh boost.
Giant wing Walker, who patrols the wide channels at a menacing 6ft 5in, has been in training at Sixways for the last six weeks and is raring to go as he aims to tackle the best of the Aviva Premiership for the first time.
The 30-year-old is also eager to get back out on the field of play after a 12-month period that saw him suffer a knee injury in a World Cup warm up match with Italy last summer.
Walker had scored six tries in his 24 appearances for Scotland and was just five agonising minutes from sealing his place in the squad for New Zealand when he sustained anterior cruciate damage against the Azzurri.
The Aberdeen-born back has since battled his way back to full fitness and made the decision to move to England for the very first time to taste a new challenge in his career.
“I have always thought it can be good to move to a new club,” he admitted. “When I moved from the Borders to the Ospreys it really kick-started my career. You are out of your comfort zone and in a new environment.
“It’s something new and you have to improve all the time to stay in the team. By coming here I hope it will do the same again and give me another boost and kick-on.
“It’s been good to come in and there are a lot of new signings alongside me. It’s been easy to fit in and get that excitement going.
“It’s nice to come into a different environment and it’s really professional, I’ve been very impressed,” he added.
“It’s been hard work, a shock to the system and harder than I have ever had to work, but I feel good for it. Now we are all looking forward to the rugby starting to get over pre-season.
“The boys feel like they have done a lot of work and rugby has been introduced so we are working towards that first pre-season game with Cardiff Blues.
“We have a lot of work to do in those four friendly games before the Aviva Premiership starts.”
Walker, who weighs in at nearly 17st, spent five successful years with the Ospreys and made 103 appearances – scoring 37 tries – as part of a devastating little and large double act with legendary pace ace Shane Williams.
A similar partnership with David Lemi is just one of the options for Head Coach Richard Hill this season, but Walker insists his priority is just concentrating on himself and forcing his way onto the team sheet every week.
He said: “Getting in the team will be difficult – I’ve been impressed by the other lads in training.
“I have to concentrate on myself and get myself in the best possible shape of my career. I have been injured for the last year so I’ve worked hard over the summer and I’m raring to go.
“Hopefully my performances in training and in the friendly games will get me a starting spot.
“It has been a frustrating time for me over the last year, but as soon as the rugby ball came out in training the smile was back.
“I’m definitely enjoying things more now a ball is involved rather than just running up and down and doing weights.”
This season will see Walker face the might of the Aviva Premiership for the first time and, as one of rugby’s tallest players on the wing, he would seem to boast all the attributes needed to be a big hit in such an uncompromising environment.
“I have been playing in the Magners League and RaboDirect PRO12 for many years so to come to the Aviva Premiership is fantastic,” admitted Walker.
“There is a lot of interest and coverage and I have taken a lot of interest in the past. I’m excited to be part of it.
“It’s great that we are at home on the first weekend and it’s a bit of a local derby with Bath. It’s a great fixture and also Gloucester coming up soon after that.
“We will be looking to improve on the away performances and also get some points on the road too. We start at Leicester which is some game first up.”
Walker has already encountered some familiar faces in his short spell at Sixways – none more so than hooker Ed Shervington who played alongside him at Ospreys.
“Shervs is a good mate and I used to live practically next door to him. I know him well and he’s an eccentric,” laughed Walker.
“It’s great to have people like that around the squad, he keeps everyone going and when you are down and tired you need characters like that to keep spirits up.”
With six weeks of hard graft in pre-season now under the belt, Walker admits the players are keen for the rugby to start and the chance to sink their teeth into Cardiff Blues, Scarlets, Rotherham Titans and Plymouth Albion over the coming weeks.
And he has also revealed the enjoyment the squad has taken from the input of the new-look coaching team as the Warriors look to successfully blend both attack and defence together this season.
“It’s always great to get another coaches perspective,” he added. “With Mathieu (Rourre), for instance, being French it is a different approach to what I have been used to.
“He will definitely add a new dimension to Worcester’s game. There will be flair and playing with the ball rather than trucking it up and down and being conservative.
“He will add a great deal and just being here for a week he has added a lot and things are improving.”
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“It’s something new and you have to improve all the time to stay in the team. By coming here I hope it will do the same again and give me another boost and kick-on…"