​Ex-Bath Rugby wing Andrew Higgins, who quit the club a year ago after being embroiled in the side's drugs scandal, is to return to the Guinness Premiership.

The Exeter Chiefs, fresh from winning the Championship and securing a spot in English rugby's top flight for the first time in their history, this morning announced that they had signed the hard-running back.

Along with Bath co-captains Michael Lipman and Alex Crockett, Higgins terminated his contract with Bath on the eve of a disciplinary hearing last June. The trio had been summoned by the club after being accused of failing to take drugs tests following the infamous end-of-season party in London.

The three players were then summoned to a RFU hearing and handed nine-month bans.

Higgins then moved to Paris amid claims he had retired from the game.

But today it emerged that the 29-year-old, who has 106 Premiership appearances to his name, is hungry to revive his career.

Higgins will join former Bath team-mate James Scaysbrook at Sandy Park. Flanker Scaysbrook, frustrated at being unable to pin down a starting spot in the Bath side, joined Exeter this time last year.

Exeter head coach Rob Baxter said: “All our recruitment for last season and this season has been based around players who have something to prove.

"If you look at James Scaysbrook, Phil Dollman and Mark Foster, they were all players who had massive points to prove because they had either dropped out of a Premiership side or had just not been making it at their club. They all had chips on their shoulders if you like and that has been massively important.

"The fundamental thing for Andrew is he has a lot to prove too. I had a very good meeting with him and I think he is a guy who is desperate to show people what a good player he is and to put things behind him. He did not run away from anything I asked him. He was very honest. He is going to be the kind of guy who will help move us forward."

Baxter added: "Andrew committed to Exeter well before the final result. It was not about us being in the Premiership and that’s very important to us."

Higgins has passed a medical screening and has begun training ahead of Exeter’s pre-season that starts in July.

Baxter said: “People might say it's a bit of a gamble but as far as I am concerned, it’s not a gamble. A year off has probably extended Andrew's career for another year. He will be fresh and raring to go.

"Andrew wanted to get out of England and distance himself from everything that had happened. We are fortunate that this is the time he wants to get back into rugby."

The news of Higgins' deal with the Chiefs comes in the same week that new Super 15 franchise the Melbourne Rebels announced that Lipman has joined their ranks. Crockett returned to action with Bristol on a short-term deal in March, making a limited impact before suffering a hamstring injury.