SHREWD signing Matt Kvesic can help balance one of the best back-row units in the Premiership at Gloucester this year, believes Phil Vickery.
World Cup winner Vickery hailed the natural openside flanker's increasing talent and backed him to make a big impact at Kingsholm in the new season.
The 21-year-old back-rower has made the switch from Worcester for boss Nigel Davies' second Gloucester campaign.
And former Gloucester prop Vickery believes Kvesic has two ideal mentors to help him scale Cherry and Whites and England heights.
Andrew Stanley recruited the Germany-born loose-forward for Worcester when he was the Sixways academy manager.
The former Gloucester openside has now been installed as the Kingsholm club's forwards coach, replacing Carl Hogg who has joined Worcester to link up with Dean Ryan once again.
Evergreen flanker Andrew Hazell has already pledged to help Kvesic thrive at Gloucester, and Vickery believes both he and Stanley can bring the best out of the new Kingsholm recruit.
Vickery is well placed to judge Kvesic, after working as a consultant coach with the Warriors last season.
And he told The Citizen Kvesic will light up an already talent-packed loose-forward division in Davies' ranks.
Vickery said: "It's an excellent signing for Gloucester, I think he will do very well for the club.
"Matt has been improving quickly all the time, he has grown into that openside role very quickly, and he will only go from strength to strength at Gloucester.
"In Andrew Stanley and Andy Hazell he has two fantastic mentors that can help him hone his craft.
"Matt fills an extremely specialist role and he will now have two men who are extremely experienced and well-versed themselves in exactly that trade at his disposal.
"Andy Hazell will definitely help Matt develop, he is at that stage of his career where he knows it will be important to help others progress for the future.
"And there will be few better to help Matt develop than Andy.
"Obviously Matt knows Stan well from their time together at Worcester in the academy.
"Now Stan will be able to guide Matt forward in that natural openside role.
"Gloucester look extremely strong in the back-row this season, it's going to be a tough battle even getting into the side for any of the guys, really.
"It is going to be one of their most threatening areas of the team, and I think their balance in all three positions is going to serve them well."
Backing Gloucester for a play-off drive in this season's Premiership, Vickery hailed former Wales centre Davies' growing Kingsholm impact.
Vickery continued: "Nigel has done a great job, from all accounts.
"He's clearly settled everything down well, and has the club back on an upward curve.
"The exciting thing now will be the challenge to take that forward again, and to push the squad to even greater heights.
"I think it is definitely possible for Gloucester to make the top four, and to challenge in the play-offs.
"That's what they ought to be aiming for and I'm sure that's exactly what they will be planning.
"There's so much talent in that squad that if they reach their potential then they can certainly achieve something special.
"You can tell Nigel is a very strong man-manager, he's extremely shrewd and he knows how to get the best out of his players.
"And hopefully he can squeeze that little bit more from the squad now."
