Braehead Clan have announced this morning the return of defenceman Craig Cescon four years after he departed Glasgow.

The 30-year-old made 18 appearances for the club in 2013 after being brought in by then coach Paul Gardner, scoring once and assisting in four more.

And the Canadian admits he jumped at the chance to return after speaking with head coach John Tripp about the possibility of a move.

“My wife and I enjoyed our time over there the first time around so when the opportunity arose to talk to John and Gareth about coming back, it was a no-brainer,” Cescon said.

“John didn’t need to sell the club to me at all. I’ve seen the growth of it in the last five years, having played in Coventry and Dundee.

“You see the good fan base and how it’s selling out, plus speaking to guys that have been there recently, they have nothing but good things to say.

“It was run very well when I was there before and imagine it’s run even better now. We know what’s it all about and can’t wait to get over there.”

Cescon is the fifth player in the club’s history to make a return to Braehead after playing elsewhere, joining a list that includes Bobby Chaumont, Neil Trimm, Lee Esders and Brendan Brooks.

Since leaving in 2013, Cescon has iced in North America and France, but joined Coventry Blaze in 2014, where he won the play-offs.

Last summer, he returned to the UK again to go to Dundee Stars under Marc LeFebvre, where he reached and played in last season’s play-off finals weekend again.

Clan head coach Tripp was pleased to get a player that will shore up the defence even more, but liked the fact he’s someone already known the Purple Army.

“Craig’s another player that fits the bill of what I’m looking for and the fact he already has a link to the fan base makes it even better,” he said.

“He knows what the Elite League is all about and that experience will be helpful to me this season as we find our feet in the first few weeks.

“As everyone knows, he’s a tough competitor who wants to win every night and will stand up for his team-mates at every given opportunity.

“His desire to come back to the club was clear when I spoke to him and I can’t wait to see how he fits into my roster.”