Kris Chesney has hailed the return of 'the messiah' claiming Eddie Jones is the man to lead them to silverware.

The one-club star is one of the few players to have worked under Jones before and admits he was excited when he heard the coach was coming back to lead Sarries.

Chesney said: "He was like the messiah wasn't he? We were dead and buried. He's got a special talent. His man-management is fantastic, he knows how to pick players up. He's very, very positive and makes sure he speaks to everyone in the squad. He pats you on the back if you've done well and if it's not good he will tell you. He just has a fantastic way with players and getting the best out of him.

"It's always nice when you work under someone you've worked with before. His track record speaks for itself, he's won the World Cup, he's one of the most respected coaches in the world.

"Man-management wise he's up there with the best of them. Alan Gaffney was very good last year. Alan started the ball rolling and he's worked with Eddie in the past so that makes the transition smoother. He's just progressing another two or three steps."

The veteran flanker made his 300th appearance for Saracens last season and also broke the Guinness Premiership record - two honours which mean a lot to him. But he still has one target which has proved tantalisingly elusive so far. Chesney didn't feature during their last major trophy win in the 1998 Tetley's Bitter Cup final. He is determined to end his career with a winner's medal and believes they are well equipped to do so under Jones.

Chesney said: "I haven't got too much to shout about internationally during my career but playing over 320 games with Saracens and holding a record is a massive milestone for me. I hold that in great honour. And breaking the appearance record in the Premiership was another milestone. Some of the legends in the Premiership, to be top of that list is a great achievement and something I'm very happy with.

"There is still a lot of fight in me and I'm still fit and hungry. I still have a lot of ambition and have unfinished business here. I definitely want to win something with the club.

"I was just talking to Richard Hill, he's won everything in the game bar win a trophy with Saracens. I would like to win a trophy because we both missed out on the Tetley's Bitter Cup final in 1998-9. It would be nice to have a cherry on the cake after 13 years here."

Chesney has experienced the highs and lows across more than a decade with the Men in Black. He has played in some successful sides including the 1998 cup winners and last year's Heineken Cup semi-finalists but he feels the current crop are capable of surpassing all of them.

"On paper we've had some tremendous squads, we've had superstar lineups," he said. "The 1998 one was similar to this squad because some of these superstars. We just had mature guys who were coming to the end of their career but just wanted to work hard. There were no egos and young up and coming guys. At the time there was me, Sorrell, Hilly to a certain extent, we wanted to break into the side. This year we've got a lot of mature guys who are very ambitious. They're all hard working and we've got some extraordinary young talent coming through."

The 34-year-old goes into the new campaign in confident mood and claims he is no where near hanging up his boots. Despite earning a testimonial at Lord's next month, the intimidating forward insists he feels in the best condition of his life and eager to prolong his career.

He said: "It's been tough, it's been hard, there has been a lot of competition because everyone is accountable. The training has been very healthy and we're in good nick at the moment. This is the best I've ever felt. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life at the moment. Eddie's made no bones about it, that's what he's wanted me to be. I've had to work hard because the game's got quicker and stronger. You have to evolve.

"We played Bath last season and the difference between them and our squad and theirs in terms of fitness was phenomenal. We were out on our feet and dead, whereas Bath were on their way up."

Chesney has had plenty of opportunities over the years to leave the Men in Black but he has always remained loyal to the club.

"I've had some interesting offers which made me think but I'm very happy here," he revealed. "I love playing for Saracens and I love the guys here. My family are also happy here so it would have had to take a very special offer to take me away."

Saracens have been busy this summer with high profile signings such as Steve Borthwick and Michael Owen coming in. Chesney feels they will help take Saracens to the next level and is hopeful the side can find the consistency required to go all the way in a competition.

"All the boys have worked really hard this year. There is a lot of ambition and a lot of optimism and trepidation as well. I've been here 13 years and I've always been confident every year. The big focus this year is consistency. We've shown in the past we can put six or seven wins together and perform at the highest level. We showed that in the Heineken Cup but a week later we got stung by Bath and lost by 50 points. That's not consistency. Look at the top sides, Bath, Wasps, Leicester. We need to exceed those levels and bring this club forward."

Chesney is also confident the new co-captaincy between Borthwick and Andy Farrell will have an impact across the whole team.

"It's a big squad and if you have a good season you're looking at 38 games. It probably helps that we have a back and a forward captain. They're both very similar, influential players.

"What they say you stand up and listen to them. You want to listen to what they say and they'll both do a good job. They're not always going to play together which is one bonus of having co-captains."