Dion Stovell’s cricket career has come full circle as he returns to Cleveland County after a highly successful stint at Southampton Rangers.

The leading all-rounder began his journey in the sport at Cleveland at youth level before having spells at Warwick, St David’s and Rangers, where he has spent the majority of time in senior cricket and also had the chance to captain.

“I chose Cleveland because, for one, it’s the first club that I played cricket for,” Stovell said.

“I also play Eastern Counties with them and my son plays youth cricket there, so I want to be close to him and support him.

“It’s not just about me any more. I have two children I need to think about, so these days things have to make sense and my time is important.”

Stovell is one of two high-profile players returning to Cleveland this season as fellow all-rounder Allan Douglas Jr has also returned to his roots from St George’s, whom he represents in Cup Match.

Also joining the club from St George’s are slow left-armer Isaiah Greaves and seamer Jabari Darrell, who represented Bermuda at the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Sub-Regional Qualifiers in Argentina.

Stovell’s move has ended speculation over his whereabouts for the 2023 campaign after he was linked to a potential move to his Cup match team Somerset, who recently appointed former Rangers coach Janeiro Tucker as assistant coach.

“The only two clubs I would have gone to were either Somerset or Cleveland, or I could have stayed at Rangers,” the 38-year-old added.

“I am pretty sure everyone thought I would go with Janeiro Tucker up Somerset. I wouldn’t say I was influenced, I never get influenced by what other people think I should do with my career. It was a decision that I had to make to either stay at Rangers or move elsewhere.”

Tucker joined Somerset after his contract with Rangers expired at the end of last season and was never renewed and he was joined in the move by young fast bowler Nirobi Smith-Mills, but Stovell revealed his decision to leave Rangers was not as easy as one might think.

“Most definitely leaving a big club like Rangers is a hard decision because truthfully I didn’t want to leave them,” he said.

“At this point in my career chopping and changing offers no stability, but at the same time I still want to compete at a decent level in the country, so that pretty much made up my mind that it was time to move elsewhere.

“I want to thank the Rangers fans and Brangman Electric for what they have done for us and I wish Rangers all the best.”

As an experiened player, Stovell knows he has the opportunity to influence younger members of any squad and he will be seeking to keep his standards high.

“My expectations are always high, that’s just me,” he said. “I know it’s going to be tough and most things won’t come easy, so it’s a challenge I’m ready for.

“I also hope I can change the mindset and the culture of some these younger players at Cleveland. I think they are backed by a good community and have a lot to play for.”

As well as helping Cleveland to try and regain the prestigious Eastern Counties, Stovell also hopes to see the club win the Premier Division 50-overs title and make an immediate return to the Premier Division in the T20 format.

“The aim is not to try and survive in the Premier Division 50-overs league but compete with the big clubs at this level,” he said. “I’m coming with a positive attitude and ready to play cricket.”