Andy Powell has returned to his best form since his move to Sale Sharks last summer © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

Players/Officials: Andy Powell

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: England | Sale Sharks | Wales

Andy Powell is set to be rewarded with a new deal by Aviva Premiership side Sale Sharks.

The 30-year-old Wales international has returned to top form with the Sharks since linking up with the club last summer having endured a troubled few months that suggested his career was coming to an ignominious end.

A tourist with the British & Irish Lions in 2009, Powell was infamously arrested for driving a golf buggy down the M4 in the wake of Wales' Six Nations victory over Scotland in 2010. He was later released from Cardiff Blues before a short spell with Wasps that ended in the wake of an incident in a London pub.

"We are looking to extend Andy's contract by another year," Sharks' chief executive Steve Diamond told The Rugby Paper. "We hope to get it finalised in the next month. When you get big players like Andy, you want to tie him down and negotiate a longer-term contract.

"He has matured into a great asset for us. He is an incredible athlete, a good character and big presence. He reminds me of Chabal except that Andy has more about him. Chabal was a very good player at home but not the same at tough places like Munster.

"Andy gives the team great go-forward and certainly the fans get their money's worth. He's knuckled down and become a leader in the his own right through the work he does in the gym and on the pitch. I think is reputation is unfair. He looks after himself and enjoys himself within reason when he goes out. There is no drinking culture at our place."

Powell remains a feature of the Wales set-up having made the last of his 23 Test appearances against Scotland in this year's Six Nations but it currently considered as cover for the likes of Toby Faletau and Ryan Jones.