Aviva Premiership: England prop Kieran Brookes to join Northampton next season from Newcastle

England prop Kieran Brookes has agreed a deal to join Northampton next season from Newcastle.

Brookes, 24, made his debut for the Falcons in 2009 before moving to Leicester in 2012 where he endured a difficult two years.

He returned to the north-east to play a part in the club's successful 2013/14 RFU Championship play-off campaign before signing permanently ahead of Newcastle's Aviva Premiership return.

Brookes has made a 23 top-flight appearances this term and has earned six England caps since making his senior debut in the summer tour to New Zealand.

Kieran has steadily risen through the various England representative teams and has shown his quality at each level, building up experience alon

Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder said: “Kieran has steadily risen through the various England representative teams and has shown his quality at each level, building up experience along the way.

“However while we believe that he can contribute a great deal to our squad we also think that Kieran has a lot more to come, and we are looking forward to seeing him develop as a player at Franklin’s Gardens.”

Brookes is looking forward to joining the Saints later in the year and said: “I'm looking forward to joining Northampton Saints next season. Their record over the last few seasons speaks for itself and I'm under no illusions of the quality of squad I'm going in to and the challenge that presents.

“I've really enjoyed my time at the Falcons and in particular working with John Wells and Micky Ward, both of whom have helped me massively, and in the meantime all my efforts will be concentrated on helping us finish as high up the league as we can.”

Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards said: "We're obviously disappointed to see Kieran head to Northampton, as we would have liked him to stay here, at the club that has helped him to develop into the full England international that he is today.

"Attempts were made to retain Kieran over a 10 month period but during the course of the negotiations it became clear that he and his agent were looking to move.”