The South African's five-year stay with the Sharks has come to an end, with the World Cup winner joining Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan.
When he moved the AJ Bell Stadium, the scrum-half wasn't in the Springboks side. But while in England he not only won back his place, but became a World Cup winner.
Director of rugby Alex Sanderson said there will always be a part of De Klerk's DNA with the club now. But the 30-year-old believes he will also be taking a part of the Mancunian DNA away with him.
"We came over in 2017. I started falling out of favour with the national side in South Africa and this opportunity came along," he said.
This story is from the June 09, 2022 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the June 09, 2022 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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