Stuart Hogg hints at Scotland retirement U-turn as he returns to rugby

Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has made his feelings clear on a potential international return as he moves closer to completing a stunning retirement U-turn.

The 31-year-old quit rugby last summer ahead of the World Cup, but looks set to revive his career by joining Montpellier in the French Top 14 in the coming days. Since hanging up his boots, Hogg has made headlines for all the wrong reasons, leaving his wife “devastated” after going public with his new girlfriend just days after she gave birth to the couple’s fourth child in November.

In February, he was arrested and charged at his estranged wife’s house over allegations he caused fear and alarm by acting in a threatening or abusive manner towards her. He later appeared in court and denied a charge of stalking, with a trial date set for July 30.

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The ex-full-back also revealed in April that he had spent time in rehab after going through “the darkest of times”, admitting that he was “lost and needed help”. In a statement posted online, he said that the time away had helped him to “see the world differently” and claimed he was “excited” about his future.

And while he had said last summer that his body had “not been able to do the things I wanted and needed it to do”, Hogg is set to return to rugby after less than a year out, having also reportedly held talks with clubs in England and Japan before settling on France.

He has seemingly also set his sights on adding to his 100 caps for Scotland, dropping a big hint over his international aspirations on social media. Ahead of his imminent return, Hogg – who is also his country’s record try-scorer – has changed his Instagram profile picture from a candid off-field shot to one of him playing for Scotland, while he has also added a Scottish flag and #1025 – a reference to his cap number – into his bio.

The Scotsman is also reportedly keen to make a remarkable push to be involved in a further Lions tour as he looks to hit the ground running on his return and recapture his best form.

Hogg is set to join Montpellier as a medical joker for France fullback Anthony Bouthier, who is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing a cruciate ligament. He is currently in “advanced talks” with the French strugglers but is expected to join England internationals Billy Vunipola, Sam Simmonds and Harry Williams at the club next season.