John Barclay to join Edinburgh on two-year deal from Scarlets

Scotland captain John Barclay will leave Scarlets to join Edinburgh on a two-year deal from next season.

The 31-year-old, who has been capped by his country 64 times, will return to Scotland at the end of the current campaign and spending five seasons with the Welsh region.

Former Glasgow Warriors back-row Barclay says he was persuaded to return to Scotland after speaking with Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill.

"I spoke with Richard Cockerill and he outlined his vision for the future," Barclay said, in a statement on Friday.

"Edinburgh as a club, and as a city, has a huge amount of potential and I can see what they are trying to do, so I'm looking forward to being a part of it. Scotland is home, so it'll be great to come back and play at one of my home clubs."

Cockerill is looking forward to working with Barclay, who captained Scotland to a 44-38 win over Samoa in their opening Autumn International earlier this month.

"We're delighted that a player of John's calibre has chosen to join Edinburgh," said Cockerill.

"He's a terrific player, with a proven track record and his leadership values will only add to the strong culture we're building at this club. John is committed to taking Edinburgh forward and his ambition to create a winning environment will benefit our squad immensely."