The last time Danny Cipriani trod the Twickenham turf with Wasps he had to use Lawrence Dallaglio and Josh Lewsey as crutches.
This weekend he will return to HQ unaided - just like his boyhood club who now no longer need propping up financially.
Wasps and Cipriani will face their first Premiership final since 2008 when squaring up to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday.
Cipriani watched Wasps' 26-16 triumph over Leicester Tigers from the stands nine years ago having broken his leg just 13 days earlier, in Wasps' semi-final win over Bath.
Fast forward to 2017 and the 29-year-old is itching to cement Wasps' return to the English game's summit.
"That was the first time I was allowed out of hospital," said Cipriani of watching Wasps' last title triumph from the stands.
"I knew we had a good game plan that day to go and win and it was fun to watch the boys go and do it. My ankle was throbbing throughout the whole 80 minutes and I was watching the whole game on pain-killers!
"It was great to win it because we'd had a pretty good year that year, so it was nice to just finish it off; round it off with a win.
"Watching my mate Dom Waldouck go and win; that was the best for me.
"Lol (Lawrence Dallaglio) and Josh (Lewsey) and that lot made sure I came on to the pitch and they were carrying me round the field.
"They brought the trophy to me and there was a picture of me and Dom with it. It was just a nice day really.
"Before that we had won the Heineken Cup (in 2007) so I just thought every year was going to be like that really. But it's been a long time since then."
That "long time" accounts for Wasps' wilderness years of so nearly going bust, hunting new owners and their own home - and also Cipriani's nomadic streak of stints with Melbourne Rebels and Sale Sharks.
After six years away Cipriani returned to Wasps last summer - with the club already installed at their permanent new home in Coventry's Ricoh Arena.
Where Wasps would have folded had they been relegated in 2012, now they boast gates upwards of 20,000 and have topped the Aviva Premiership's regular-season table for the first time.
"I just felt like I needed to get away so I had a well-paid two-year gap year in Australia, then I came back, went to Sale and enjoyed my time there," said Cipriani.
"Now, nine years later, I've got an opportunity to be in the final.
"Wasps is dear to my heart, it's my first club. I'd kind of agreed at another club, but I hadn't signed anything.
"Then I met Dai (director of rugby, Young), and he said he wanted me to come in and lead a team.
"The draw of going back to Wasps was huge for me. There is definitely a sentimental side to it."
Wasps' class of 2008 ground their way to a fourth Premiership title in six years, to add to the 2004 and 2007 Heineken Cup crowns.
Cipriani won the Premiership player of the year award despite missing the final due to that horrific injury, so retains the rare ability to appraise Wasps' two eras.
And the livewire playmaker insisted he believes Youngs' Wasps outfit of 2017 boasts more natural ability than the dominators of 2008.
But Cipriani conceded that where Wasps' current men must catch up to their predecessors is when it comes down to the pure art of winning.
"Talent-wise I would say this team is better, man-for-man," said Cipriani.
"Elliot Daly versus Fraser Waters, you would say talent-wise that Elliot is way better but you know what a stalwart Fraser was back in the day, in that system he was exceptional.
"I could do that throughout the team - but it was the experience of getting to those games, those finals and getting through it.
"This team has now started to do that. They did it last year getting to two semi-finals and we have done it this year getting to a final, and we will keep moving forward.
"We are hopefully going to see this team grow into an even greater team than the one that was before."
Source: PA
