Former England fly-half Paul Grayson appointed as kicking coach of Northampton Saints

Former England international Paul Grayson returns back to Northampton Saints after he was appointed as a consultant kicking coach.

The 47-year-old is already the all-time leading points scorer for the club after amassing 2784 points from 259 games between 1993 and 2005. He took over the head coach role of the Franklin Garden's outfit on his retirement and guided them to a Heineken Cup semi-final in 2007.

"This is a very exciting time to be re-joining the Saints set-up. Northampton Saints is in my blood so I am delighted to accept this opportunity," Grayson added.

"I have clear ideas of what I would like to contribute, and I cannot wait to get out on to the training ground and get started."

Grayson has played 32 Tests for England between 1995 and 2004 during which he scored 400 points and was part of the 2003 World Cup winning squad.

Northampton Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd is confident that Grayson's experience will come handy as the club look to make a mark in the coming season.

"Paul was an exceptional kicker during his career, both out of hand and when kicking for goal," Boyd said.

"Tactical kicking, when to kick, how to kick, and of course converting points through penalties and conversions is an imperative part of the modern game.

"Paul's extensive technical knowledge in this area will benefit the squad greatly."

The 2018/19 season of Gallagher Premiership for Northampton Saints will begin with a clash against Gloucester Rugby on 1st September at Kingsholm.