Lawrence Dallaglio will lead England into the 2004 RBS 6 Nations Championship after completing one of the sport's great fightbacks.
Almost five years on from the unfounded drug allegations which arguably cost him the chance to lead England in two World Cups, the number eight's re-emergence is complete.
Sir Clive Woodward's decision to name Dallaglio as captain for the tournament opener against Italy on February 15 completes a long road back for the former captain.
He was forced to resign as red rose leader following a newspaper story in May 1999 that claimed he had admitted to dealing and taking drugs. Dallaglio though, always denied those allegations.
"I am very pleased to accept this responsibility," said Dallaglio, who replaces World Cup-winning skipper Martin Johnson at the England helm.
"It is a huge honour and privilege, and Martin has certainly set a high standard. He is a world-class player and is a great loss to England, but I respect his decision to retire.
"All teams move on and evolve, and England are no exception. The priority is to get selected on form, that's paramount. I see playing well as the key to success, and captaining your country is very special indeed.
"I want to continue to work closely with Clive and the coaches, and take England to the next level, but we are under no illusions.
"As world champions, it will be a huge challenge to achieve that goal, but it's one I know we all share."
Woodward found himself in the fortunate position of having several players capable of succeeding Johnson.
"Martin was always going to be such a hard act for any player to follow, both on the pitch and in his leadership qualities," said Woodward.
"Many players have proven to me they could do the job, but in my opinion, Lawrence is the stand-out choice for Italy. I am really pleased for him, and I am confident he will be excellent in the role."
Dallaglio, 31, was educated at Ampleforth College and Kingston University before joining Wasps in 1987.
During the summer of 1997, he played a towering role in the Lions tour of South Africa, leaving no-one in doubt about his leadership qualities during the 2-1 series win.
His performances were rewarded with the England captaincy under Woodward, who had replaced Jack Rowell as coach and opted for Dallaglio instead of Johnson.
Dallaglio captained England 14 times, establishing himself as one of the world's finest back-row forwards before making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
His single-mindedness and determination, however, saw him fight back. After being forced out of the pre-1999 World Cup tour to Australia, he returned to play a full part in England's World Cup campaign under his replacement, Johnson.
In 2000, Dallaglio continued his comeback by being named Six Nations player of the year, and, after being reinstated as Wasps skipper, led them to their second successive Tetley's Bitter Cup triumph.
His storming re-emergence took an almost catastrophic blow though, as he suffered a career-threatening knee injury.
His infamous strong character and determination was tested to the limit as he struggled to regain his form and fitness following reconstruction surgery, but his strength won through and in the 2002-03 season, he led Wasps to a Parker Pen Challenge Cup and Zurich Premiership double.
A World Cup winner's medal followed, and then he was acclaimed, along with his England team-mates in the New Year's Honours List, through the award of an MBE.
It could not have gone much better for Dallaglio last year, but he has never been a player to rest on his laurels, and England will inevitably reap the benefit.