DAN SCARBROUGH will make his 100th Premiership appearance at Bath tomorrow (Saturday), the club he nearly opted to join before plumping for Saracens.

"Scabs" had plenty of offers on the table when he quit boyhood side Leeds Tykes in 2004 after his try-scoring exploits for the Yorkshire club made him one of the hottest properties around.

And Bath was just one of the ports of call Scarbrough visited as he weighed up his next career move before he was persuaded to join Saracens.

"I had a meeting at Bath, just as I did with a few other clubs," said Scarbrough, who can play at wing and full-back. "I was keeping my options open. I looked at Saracens in the same way most other players did - a big-money club that never did anything year on year. But I had worked with Steve Diamond (former Sarries director of rugby) that summer and saw a few guys moving there from up north such as Hugh Vyvyan from Newcastle and a few guys from Sale Sharks. It looked like they were going to have a good go at it and I fancied it too."

The 29-year-old finished the 2001/02 season for Tykes as the second highest scorer in the Premiership, but his first year at Saracens was wrecked by a catalogue of injuries that reduced him to just eight appearances.

He returned to form last year by finishing as Sarries' top try scorer with eight but has fallen short of that target so far this season - not that it bothers him too much.

The blonde bomber has been a virtual ever-present in Alan Gaffney's team, scoring two tries and is one of the Premiership's top metre-makers. A succession of injuries to French utility-back Thomas Castaignede has seen Scarbrough mainly wear the number 15 shirt this season, a position he is more than happy to fill.

"I've got personal goals and like putting pressure on myself to improve in certain areas," he said. "I'm trying to make the full-back position my own.

"I've been right and left wing and even had a spell at outside-centre but, while it can be a tricky position, full-back is what I enjoy. It requires a different thought process to playing on the wing and the more I play there the more I get used to it."

He added: "I may have not scored many this season but I believe my all-round game has heavily improved.

"It doesn't bother me that I am not scoring too many as long as the other guys are doing the business."

Scarbrough played down the personal milestone he will reach at The Rec, although he admitted he may never have achieved it after twice snapping a hamstring and having his shoulder reconstructed.

"I'm very happy," he added. "I suppose it's just a number but it's a nice milestone to reach, especially after the injuries I've had. It will be something to look back on and tell the grandchildren. I'm keen to reach that next 100."

The Bradford-born three-quarter's contract with Saracens ends later this year and, while having previously expressed a desire to return to Leeds to finish his career, Scarbrough hopes his performances will see him rewarded with a new deal so he can end his playing days down south.

"It's possible returning to Leeds but I never like to look too far ahead," he said. "I see myself as a pretty loyal bloke and I've never won anything with a Premiership club and can see that happening here, so there's no reason for me to leave. You can never say never but if everything is in the right place then I am keen to stay."