At the end of the season, Roger Wilson will pack his bags and return home to Ulster, with the Northampton Saints No.8 aiming to ensure that he takes an Aviva Premiership winners medal with him.
Wilson’s four-year stay at Franklin’s Gardens has seen him on winning sides in both the European Challenge Cup and the LV= Cup, while he was also a key member of the team that reached last season’s Heineken Cup final.
But it is a league triumph that the 29-year-old covets the most before he returns to Ireland and he is determined to do his all to help make Northampton the side lifting the trophy at Twickenham in May.
That starts again this Saturday when the Saints travel to Kingsholm to take on Gloucester, kicking off a run of four games before their Anglo-Welsh competition semi-final at home to the Scarlets on Sunday, March 11.
“We’ve had success in the LV= Cup and Challenge Cup, and getting to the Heineken Cup final was great, but it would be brilliant to end with winning the Premiership,” said Wilson.
“I’m desperately hoping to do everything I can within the next four or five months for us to be in a position to do that.
“I think I’ve probably played my best years over here and consistently too. For the four years I’ve been here, coming straight up from Division One, the team has improved year on year and my own game has probably improved all round as well.
"Playing with great players, international players and some great coaching as well – that has probably been the reason for it.”
Wilson still has ambitions of representing Ireland at international level and knows that his chances of doing so will be increased if he is playing for one of the provinces in the RaboDirect Pro 12.
New restrictions on number of foreigners playing for the Irish sides in next season’s competition have also opened the door for him to return home, but the main reason was the opportunity to go back to his old side.
Wilson said: It's where home is and I just saw myself eventually going back there. They have come in and offered me a three-year contract, which at my age takes me up to when I'm nearly 34.
"It's beneficially for any Irish players playing abroad because from next season the Irish teams in the Celtic League are only allowed to play a certain number of foreigners in their match day 22, so they need as many Irish qualified players as possible. It's good for anybody based abroad and it's a big incentive for them to come back.
"Hopefully I'll still be able to run by then and it will help me getting into careers after rugby because I'll probably wind up settling down there. Also I came here when Ulster were struggling a bit, but now they're establishing themselves as a leading team."
There will be further change at Ulster over the summer, with current boss and Wilson's former school coach Brian McLaughlin leaving his post after it was revealed he will not be offered a new contract.
Experienced coach John Kirwan has expressed an interest in taking over the job, and while he would have liked to have been re-united with McLaughlin, Wilson is not overly worried about whoever takes over.
He said: "I have every faith in David Humphries, the CEO, that who he gets in is going to be a world class coach because he has got his head screwed on. I think the Ulster turnaround is mainly due to him. He'll not get anyone in who is not up to the job.
"It would have been nice to work with Brian again because he is my old school coach and I have a good relationship with him, but I'm not too worried about it really."
