JACK Brooks is hoping to push for England honours by impressing for his new club Yorkshire.

The 28-year-old paceman, from Tiddington, is training hard in the indoor school at Headingley ahead of the biggest season of his career.

And Brooks, whose displays for Oxfordshire helped earn him his previous contract at Northants, is relishing the opportunity.

“I needed a fresh start,” he said. “I wanted a new challenge to push my game on.

“I enjoyed my time at Northants, but for me to force myself into the England reckoning, I need to push myself at a so-called big club.

“They will be looking after me a bit better and keeping me fresh.”

Playing for the Tykes, who have returned to Division 1 of the County Championship, will give Brooks a higher profile than he had at Northants.

“That was a big part of my move to Yorkshire,” he said. “They are probably the biggest club in the country.

“If I do well there, then it is only going to help me push for higher honours.

“I am really excited about doing well for them. If I do that, then hopefully will get my name back in the frame with England Lions.”

Brooks missed the end of last season with Achilles problems, but is recovering well.

“It needed a few months to settle down,” he said. “I can still feel a bit of pain and discomfort. It has been annoying, but it is just one of those things.”

Brooks and his Yorkshire teammates are doing most of their training in the indoor school at Headingley.

He is hoping to get some extra training in Sri Lanka at the end of February, while Yorkshire also have a pre-season trip to Barbados in March.

“I am hoping to be able to bowl flat out in Sri Lanka,” said Brooks.

He added: “This is our third week back after the Christmas break.

“We had a fitness test on the first day and since then we have been working on skills.”

Brooks has been getting to know his new teammates, although many were already familiar to him.

“I was quite lucky that I toured with Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root with the England Lions. “I am pretty good mates with them.

“I knew the rest of them quite well because they are a sociable bunch who tend to go out with you after playing.

“They are also very focused with what they want to achieve.”

One teammate he made a particular connection with is former England seamer Ryan Sidebottom.

“A lot of people are pointing out similarities between me and Ryan with the haircuts,” said Brooks.