Dan Carter will farewell New Zealand rugby after the World Cup © Getty Images

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All Blacks veteran Dan Carter has confirmed he will join Top 14 club Racing Metro after next year's World Cup.

Carter has inked a three-year deal with the Paris-based club - first revealed by ESPN on Sunday - worth a reported AUS $2 million (£1m) a season. Racing have been hunting a replacement for Jonny Sexton - who will return to Leinster at the end of the current Top 14 season - and had previously made a play for Toulon's Australian star Matt Giteau.

Carter said he was looking forward to returning to France; his previous stint with Perpignan in 2009 was cut short by an Achilles injury.

"It's going to be an awesome adventure for me and my family. Having visited France many times, including my time with Perpignan, I know what the French culture and their rugby culture is like and it's something I really love," he said.

Sad to think 2015 will be my last year playing in NZ but excited to announce my move to @RacingMetro92 next December

— Dan Carter (@DanCarter) December 18, 2014

"Having said that, it's the immediate future that is exciting me at the moment. 2015 is going to be a big year and I'm looking forward to getting into it, firstly with the Crusaders and then hopefully with the All Blacks. My body is feeling really good, I'm training really hard and getting some good conditioning in so I can hit the ground running next year. I'm looking forward to getting out and playing some good footy."

Carter endured another injury-interrupted year in 2014, featuring in just two Tests for the All Blacks after breaking his leg in the Crusaders' Super Rugby final loss to the Waratahs. The Crusaders fly-half faces an uphill battle to win back his starting spot at the All Blacks with Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett both producing standout performances in his absence this year.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said Carter would depart New Zealand rugby as the country's greatest ever fly-half. "On behalf of the All Blacks, I want to congratulate Dan on his decision and also on his career to date. He is still in the midst of a wonderful career, both as a provincial and Super Rugby player and an All Black, and will leave us as the greatest first five-eighth ever.

"Whilst he hasn't finished yet in New Zealand, he has already set the benchmark for first five play, and we look forward to seeing him out on the paddock in 2015."