Nikki Walker hopes to return to try-scoring form with Worcester Warriors in the Premiership © Getty Images

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Teams: Scotland | Worcester Warriors

Worcester Warriors' newboy Nikki Walker is aiming to use the coming season to put 12 months of injury behind him.

The Scottish international wing has been forced to watch from the sidelines for the past year after he injured anterior cruciate damage five minutes from the end of a World Cup warm-up match against Italy. It meant he had to watch from home as Scotland crashed out in the pool stages for the first time in their history and left him unable to add to his 24 caps or six Test tries. Now he is back to full fitness and hopeful he can return to his best and help Worcester improve on their 10th place finish from last season.

"I have always thought it can be good to move to a new club," Walker admitted. "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."

Walker was previously with the Ospreys for whom he scored 37 tries in 103 appearances in five years. For Worcester his aim is to make the starting line-up for their first match of the season, at home to Bath on Saturday September 1. Even so his time on the sidelines means that pre-season training is as tough as ever.

"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," 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."