Danny Cipriani has admitted he had to turn his life around after becoming better known for gossip about his relationship with Kelly Brook than he was for his rugby career.

The England rugby star had a high-profile romance with Kelly, but since splitting for good he has refocussed on his sport.

He said: “Let’s say I have a much better understanding of life these days. As you get older, you mature and see things in a different light.

“I don’t know if my ‘bad boy’ image was unfair but looking back I think I gave people an excuse to focus on that side of my life and going out with certain people.”

Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani
Exes Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani (Yui Mok/PA)

He went on: “I’m not saying I didn’t make mistakes – what young lad doesn’t? – but mine were made a lot more public. I was so young – only 20 when I achieved my dream of getting picked for England – and there wasn’t a blueprint on how to handle fame and the attention. It was all a learning curve.

“Looking back I think I probably took success for granted when I was younger. You don’t really appreciate the moments as they come along. Playing for England this year I felt much more stable, grounded and relished every second.”

Danny, 27, made changes after being hit by a bus after a night out with friends, joining a new club, Sale Sharks, and finding help in the form of new mentor Steve Black.

Danny Cipriani
Danny Cipriani (Yui Mok/PA)

He said: “I escaped the accident with cuts and bruises but it was serious and could have had an entirely different outcome. Really I’d known for a while I had to do things differently, but it’s hard to work out how unless you’re helped.

“When I first joined Sale I was clashing with coaches out of frustration because things weren’t going well. Then I realised they weren’t going to change so I had to change my attitude and work my problems through better, which I did. I learnt that when you’re emotionally charged you shouldn’t let that affect your behaviour because it’s not the wisest way to go on.”

Danny Cipriani is ambassador for the “Welcome Back to Milk” campaign for a2 Milk which changed his life for the better.