NEW signing Mike Cooper says his move back home to Warrington Wolves is the right one for his family.

The Wire announced the 27-year-old would be rejoining the club next season, three years after leaving to enjoy a successful spell with NRL giants St George Illawarra Dragons.

Former Latchford Albion junior Cooper, whose impressive performances Down Under have earned him three England caps, says he had offers to stay in Australia but now cannot wait to pull on the primrose and blue jersey again.

“I don’t think there’s any better feeling in rugby league than pulling on the shirt of your home-town team and running out into that atmosphere The Wire fans create,” he said.

“I had other options to stay in Australia, there was interest from other NRL sides and I had another 12 months left on my contract with the Dragons.

“We’ve been talking about coming back home for a few months after playing in the Test series for England and I felt it was the right thing to do for my young family.

“Warrington is part of my family, I remember going to all the home and away games when I was a kid and playing in all of the town’s age-group teams.

“I’ve got unfinished business with Warrington, I feel like I’ve grown as a player and a person since I’ve left and I’m excited to be coming back.”

After making 133 appearances for The Wire, Cooper has become known for his barnstorming runs and hard hitting in his 60 NRL games so far.

But what can Wolves fans expect from the returning forward?

“I’d say I’ve become a more rounded player in the last few years, you have to to succeed in Australia,” he said.

“I knew I was always okay in an attacking sense and the firmer pitches in Australia have suited my footwork going forward.

“The standards are so high in the NRL and you have to be 100 per cent on your game.

“You have to have a good engine and be good in defence so I hope I can bring that back to Warrington with me.

“I also hope I can play a leadership role. The team has plenty of vocal guys out there with Chris Hill, Kurt Gidley, Stefan Ratchford and the like so I think I can add to that.”

With Wolves still challenging on all fronts, Cooper could be joining a silverware-winning side when next season comes around.

Despite only being able to watch a few games this season, the local lad is impressed with what he has seen.

“What pleases me the most is that the guys seem to be playing the Warrington way of being exciting in attack but they seem a lot sounder defensively as well,” he said.

“It’s an opportunity for this Warrington side to do something great with the players they have.”

Cooper first discovered rugby with Latchford Albion and has already committed to an ambassadorial role with the club upon his return.

However, he says he is looking to help the sport in Warrington as a whole.

“Latchford is where it all started for me and I’ll help in whatever way I can, but that goes for rugby in Warrington generally,” he said.

“We need to make sure we keep kids interested and playing for the age-group teams. It’s crucial to keep the production line going and I want to be a part of making it happen.”