Louis Rees-Zammit is set to headline Steve Tandy’s first Wales squad, with the new head coach poised to hand the returning wing an international recall.

He’s back . . . and not that far from Wales, after the decision of Louis Rees-Zammit to join Bristol after his unsuccessful stint in the NFL.

Louis Rees-Zammit may not have to play very many club games before he is back for Wales, according to new coach Steve Tandy.

Former Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit says he has had “unbelievable” interest from clubs following his decision to return to rugby union - but where next?

He’s back . . . or soon will be. Having crossed the Atlantic to live his dream as a potential NFL superstar, Louis Rees-Zammit is coming home, as Graham Thomas reports.

Warren Gatland would welcome Louis Rees-Zammit back to Welsh rugby with open arms – but doesn’t expect the former Wales wing to give up yet on his American dream. Wales coach Gatland has admitted he has had no recent communication with his former player.

Gloucester winger Christian Wade feels “exceptional” Louis Rees-Zammit needs to keep improving his American football fluency if the former Wales rugby union player wants to succeed in the NFL. Wade left rugby in 2018 to pursue an NFL career, making his debut with Buffalo Bills the following year and even scoring a touchdown in that pre-season game, but spent the rest of his tenure on the practice squad.

Former Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit is expected to miss out when the Kansas City Chiefs name their 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season on Tuesday. The 23-year-old – who switched sports on the eve of last season’s Six Nations – appears likely to be assigned to the Chiefs’ practice squad to continue his development after crossing the Atlantic at the start of the year.

He’s used to wearing No 14 or No 15 for Wales but Louis Rees-Zammit donned the No 9 shirt for the Kansas City Chiefs as he made his NFL debut in a pre-season game against the Jacksonville Jaguares at EverBank Stadium. The 23-year-old Rees-Zammit signed a three-year deal with the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, in March after making a headline-grabbing code-switch away from rugby union. He joined superstars Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawreance, Carson Wentz and Mac Jones were among the big name players who joined the Chiefs squad in the first pre-season outing.

“Change” is the mantra of Keir Starmer and the Labour Party and it might equally be the slogan adopted by Warren Gatland this summer. Only, it’s not 14 years of Conservative government the Wales coach is trying to overhaul, but 14 Tests over the past 10 months.

Louis Rees-Zammit accepts his ambition to forge an American football career with NFL champions Kansas City Chiefs could see him “cut at any point”. The 23-year-old former Wales and British Lions wing is about to begin pre-season training with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions after signing a three-year contract.

Louis Rees-Zammit has taken a step closer to realising his long-standing ambition of competing in the NFL by signing a three-year deal with Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs. But there are still key questions around his move.