A serious knee injury has turned out to be the best break David Patrick has ever had.

The Bermudian basketball star tore his cruciate ligament in January while playing for the Canberra Cannons of the Australian National Basketball League.

But while it was a low point at the time, perversely it is something he is now grateful for as it has led to him moving continents and signing a deal with Britain's top team.

The 25-year-old leaves Australia this week after putting pen to paper on a season-long contract with the Chester Jets - the reigning British Basketball League Champions, Northern Conference winners, National Cup holders and BBL Trophy winners and league rivals to fellow Bermudian Sullivan Phillips' Birmingham Bullets.

Patrick was Canberra coach Cal Bruton's first recruit in the 2001-2 season and became a crowd favourite with his up tempo style and penetrating passing.

Separate injuries have curtailed his playing time in each of the past two seasons and the irony of the way things have panned out has not been lost on the player.

"Being injured this year was a blessing in disguise in terms of me being able to get out of my contract and get to Europe where my goal had always been to go," said Patrick as he took a break from packing yesterday.

"I think if I had not got injured I would have signed another multi-year contract over here and Europe would have had to have been put on hold for a while.

"The fact that I was injured opened the door for me to get to Europe. I am a big Christian and I think God had a lot to do with it."

The Jets were just one of a handful of teams who courted Patrick in recent weeks.

He had also been in contact with outfits in France and Poland as well as the Glasgow-based Scottish Rocks.

"The Poland deal I didn't want to do because I don't know too much about the country and bringing my wife over I didn't know how the living conditions would be," he said. "It was a little bit better financially and the offer from Antibes in France was better still. But with it being our first year in Europe I thought England would be a good choice as there is no language barrier."

The Jets move was actually on, off and on again.

"They had a US import in the point guard position and my agent told them I was available. They then called me and said they were going to cut the other guy and bring me in," he said.

"About two weeks ago they told my agent that their team was full but on Thursday they said a position had opened up and that was that."

Although the Jets know about Patrick from watching videotapes of his games in Australia, the player himself admits he does not know too much about the team based in the north-west of England near Liverpool.

"When they said Chester I thought I was going to Manchester!" he said. "But apparently it's not.

"I have no idea what I am going into but talking to the coach and their general manager they seem like good people, genuine people and will look after me. But I am going in there with open eyes."

Patrick said his injury had not been a factor of the talks and if anything he was fitter now than he had ever been.

"Actually it's probably stronger now than my good leg because I have done so much work on it," he said.

Patrick is set for a baptism of fire on arrival in England. He flies in on Saturday and is scheduled to play against the Scottish Rocks that night.

"It is going to be huge ask because it is a 28-hour flight from here," he said.

Though excited about the move and what lays ahead, the switch is somewhat tinged with sadness as Patrick is leaving a Cannons organisation which gave him his first break in the game.

Coach Cal Bruton paid his own tribute saying: "The way he's dealt with adversity should be an inspiration to others.

"We wish him all the best. He'll always be a part of the Cannons family."

And Patrick was quick to respond in kind.

"I didn't want to leave here on bad terms and have been honest with them from the word go," he said. "It does mean a lot (Bruton's comments). I have been a pretty good person, even through adversity, and I am glad he was able to see that.

"Aside from being a basketball player it's important to be a good person."