HE'S played in the Top 14 for Parisian big guns Stade Francais and in the Aviva Premiership for former European champions Wasps but Charlie Davies has returned to Newport Gwent Dragons to make Rodney Parade home.

Seven years ago the scrum-half, then with Nottingham, helped a Dragons Under-20s side featuring Taulupe Faletau, Jason Tovey, James Thomas and Matthew Pewtner win the WRU Regional Championship.

Shropshire-born, Sheffield-raised Davies qualifies for Wales through his father yet it was the bright lights of Paris rather than the Newport that he headed for.

But the half-back, now 25, has finally returned to Rodney Parade via Wasps and hopes to put the lessons learnt in two top leagues to use in the Guinness Pro12.

He said: "Stade Francais was a steep learning curve and a really good experience, I will always look back on that time fondly and I am so glad that I did it.

"It was quite tough at 19 but to see the culture and play in that league was a great experience that I will cherish as long as I live.

"(France international) Julien Dupuy and (South African) Noel Oelschig were the two 9s there but I got to play five games for the first team and to experience Top 14 rugby at that age was amazing.

"It's quite a good thing that I will be able to say that at the age of 25 I have played in three professional leagues.

"The Pro12 is different to the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership with a bit more of a running style of rugby rather than an attritional one and I'm looking forward to being involved in it."

And playing is the key for Davies, who must have been tempted to make a voodoo doll of Charlie Simpson over the past few seasons.

Simpson's electric displays with Wasps meant he dominated the number 9 jersey with Davies having to largely be content with cameos off the bench.

"Joe is a class player and is a guy that should be pushing in that England squad," said Davies, who still made 15 appearances last season to take his Wasps tally to 70 over five campaigns.

"It was great working with him and because he was so good it made me work hard to push him. At times I did that but at times he was playing so well and just had that X-factor.

"That was one of the reasons I moved to the Dragons – last season I was in a bit of a rut, not playing as much as I wanted. Hopefully I can rejuvenate myself here and start enjoying rugby again."

Davies is getting back to his Welsh roots with plenty of trips to Porthcawl to visit his grandfather yet it's Rodney Parade on his mind rather than the Millennium Stadium at the moment.

And with high-profile summer recruit Sarel Pretorius coming from the same mould as Simpson, Davies doesn't want to play second fiddle again.

"Wales is always in the back of your head but first and foremost it's about getting a new chance to play with the Dragons," he said.

"I've got a lot of competition to get on the pitch with Luc Jones, Owen Davies coming through the ranks and obviously Sarel.

"It's about working hard in the training week to try and get picked, then delivering a performance. I want to enjoy my rugby and get game time, then the rest will look after itself.

"I looked at some of Sarel's highlights before he came to check him out and he is lightning quick and similar to Joe Simpson in that he will make breaks, beat defenders and score good tries.

"I am a bit more physical, like getting involved with the forwards, taking people on and from my time in the Aviva Premiership can control the game and get the territorial battle right.

"Hopefully those contrasting styles will suit different games because it's a long season."