Zak Hardaker says he wants to “make the most of this opportunity” after returning to Leeds Rhinos.
The 30-year-old has signed a deal until the end of the season to come back to Headingley, where he won six major trophies in his previous spell and was Man of Steel in 2015.
Hardaker was released by Wigan Warriors last week with a view to returning to West Yorkshire and Leeds reached out with that opportunity.
Now the England international, who has also previously played for Featherstone Rovers and Castleford Tigers, is looking forward to wearing the Rhinos shirt again and has explained how the move happened.
“It is a strange feeling at the moment, I suppose a bit like going back to your old school,” Hardaker said of his return.
“I have fond memories of my time at Leeds and the opportunity to come back this year is really special.
“I have spoken to (new Leeds head coach) Rohan Smith so we can get a feel for each other, he is arriving on the same week and it was good to understand what he is looking for.
“He explained his vision for what this year looks like for Leeds as a team and explained the journey he had been on in his coaching career. I am sure we are both really eager to get over and do our best for the club.
“The way I left Wigan wasn’t the way I wanted to leave the club but I would like to thank everyone there for the opportunity to play for Wigan.
“This started last year when I wanted to get a chance to come home back to Yorkshire with my family. I have got that opportunity thankfully with Leeds and I can’t wait to play in those Friday night games in front of a packed South Stand again.
“It is definitely a case of ‘you don’t realise what you’ve got until it’s gone’ and I think I let my time at the Rhinos the first time pass me by.
“Even as an away player it is special to play at Headingley, and I am really keen to get going as soon as possible now.
“In the short term I need to get to know the boys, play in as many games as I can and show what I can do for the Rhinos.
“When I left Wigan, I wasn’t thinking of any specific club to go to but just wanted to get back to Yorkshire and see what happened from there.
“Gary (Hetherington, Rhinos chief executive) spoke to my agent and I went to meet him.
“He brought me up to speed with where the team is at and my focus is on playing well this year for the boys and enjoying my rugby. It is a very talented squad, albeit with injuries to key players at the moment.
“After our history together, I was surprised and overwhelmed when Leeds came calling and I want to make the most of this opportunity, I think it is a deal that works well for everyone concerned.”
