Edinburgh’s star wing Tom Visser, four times the leading try-scorer in the Guinness PRO12, is quitting the capital club to join London’s Harlequins next season.
The Dutchman, who qualified to play for Scotland during his six years at Edinburgh, scored 66 tries in 122 appearances for the club.
His departure had been long rumoured this season as his current three-year deal came to an end, and the player had been clearly frustrated with the lack of try-scoring opportunities due to Edinburgh’s more pragmatic style of play under Alan Solomons.
Visser’s double to help Edinburgh win the 1872 Cup against Glasgow in January doubled his try-count for the season as the capital side have started to play a more open game with some success, but he’ll now move back to the Aviva Premiership, where he came to Edinburgh in 2009 from Newcastle Falcons.
He said: “My career at Edinburgh has been great. I came up from Newcastle as a youngster the opportunity came through then coach Rob Moffat and I’ve learnt so much working with a number of coaches since then.
“I’ve given so much of my career to Edinburgh and the club has provided so much in return the opportunity to play for Scotland would never have come about, for a start and it’s been a difficult decision to move on.”
Visser’s father Marc played 67 times for the Netherland and the 6ft 4 in youngster was spotted in the Amsterdam 7s and signed by Newcastle, scoring on his AP debut against Worcester in 2006.
Three years later he moved to Edinburgh and was an immediate hit, winning the PRO12 try-scoring crown in his first season and being named the league’s Young Player of the Year.
He led the league in try-scoring a further three times and won the PRO12 Player of the Season award in 2011/12, the year Edinburgh reached the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup.
That summer he became eligible to play for Scotland through the three-year residency rule and marked his international debut, against Fiji in Lautoka, with two tries. He has seven tries in 18 international appearances for his adopted country.
The international debut, the run to the European semis and the trecent 1872 Cup win were the highlights of his career, he said.
“I’m really grateful for their encouragement and for the supporters to accept me as one of their own,” he continued.
“A lot of people I started with have moved on over time that naturally happens at any club but I’ll particularly miss the likes of Roddy Grant and Ross Ford who are still here.
“I’ll miss Edinburgh as a city you take for granted how great a place it is to live. It has a ‘villagey’ feel and I think that will be hard to replicate.”