Great Britain Hockey have announced the return of all-time leading scorer and three-time Olympian Ashley Jackson to international hockey.

One of the most talented players to have lined up for Great Britain and England, Jackson, from Kent, has made 234 combined international appearances, scoring 133 goals. He has twice been named in the FIH World All Stars Team of the Year and is also a former FIH World Young Player of the Year.

Having made his international debut aged just 19, Jackson has featured at three Olympic Games and helped Great Britain to fourth place at London 2012, their best performance in a quarter of a century. He was also part of the England side that won a historic European gold in 2009 and won bronze with them at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

He has also had plenty of success in club hockey too, playing a major part in the continued dominance of the Jaffa Super 6s trophy while also playing a key role for Ranchi Rhinos as they won the inaugural Hockey India League back in 2013. During his time away he has also featured for the Invicta Dynamos, Basingstoke Bison and London Raiders ice hockey teams.

Jackson will be back in training with the GB squad in the coming weeks after returning home from a successful season in the Netherlands playing for HGC, while he also featured for Old Georgians. He will be in contention for selection for Great Britain’s final two FIH Pro League matches of the season against the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Ahead of his return, Jackson said: “I am excited to be back and to continue my hockey on the international stage. I’d like to thank everyone at HGC that has made this possible for me. I’d also like to thank Danny [Kerry] for inspiring and motivating me, I can’t wait to get back with the group and enjoy my hockey at the highest level once again.”

Men’s Head Coach Danny Kerry said: “We’re looking forward to having Ash’s experience, knowledge and skills within the programme. His inclusion further increases the depth within our squad and we look forward to working with him over the coming months ahead.”

Performance Director Ed Barney added: “We’re embarking on an exciting phase of the programme over the coming months with the FIH Pro League, EuroHockey Championships and Olympic Qualifiers. Having maintained open communication channels since Rio, it’s fantastic that Ashley is rejoining the programme, excited and ambitious about what he and the programme can achieve over the summer and into 2020.”

Jackson’s return comes at an exciting time for men’s hockey in Great Britain, with the international side currently sitting fourth in the FIH Pro League table and hoping to qualify for the Grand Final in The Netherlands at the end of June.

His return will offer yet another option for Danny Kerry to pick from as he continues to use his wider squad, with 27 players having already featured in the league as preparations continue towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifier which will be held towards the end of this year.

GB have particularly sparkled in attack during the FIH Pro League so far, scoring 21 times in total, and Jackson’s abilities both from open play and set pieces will only add to their threat going forward.

Jackson could make his first appearance since Rio 2016 when the men’s team team play the Netherlands at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Friday 14 June.

New Zealand’s men and women then come to the Twickenham Stoop on Sunday 23 June for a historic double header – work has already begun on the base to support the installation of a new temporary pitch in time for the matches, which will also be live on BT Sport. Tickets for both dates are on sale now – secure yours by clicking here.