Danny Cipriani will return to English rugby for Sale on Saturday and has said he hopes he will be understood this season after playing out his short career so far in the media spotlight.

Like the footballer Joey Barton, the 24-year-old fly-half, who left Wasps two years ago to join the Super 15 side Melbourne Rebels, has opened a Twitter account so he can give his take on stories that appear about him. He likened himself to two sportsmen who have dominated the headlines this week: Kevin Pietersen and Robin van Persie.

"I will do what I have always done," said Cipriani, who will make his first appearance in a pre-season friendly against Glasgow at Heywood Road. "A lot of things about me get embellished and you need to understand the truth first, as is the case with Pietersen and Van Persie. Everyone wants their twopenny worth but what is the truth?

"I learned a lot in Australia and I am ambitious to play for England again. I am excited to be playing in the Premiership again and I have a role and responsibility at Sale. The better the club do in the league and in the Heineken Cup, the more players here will be recognised. It is not about me."

Cipriani has not played for England since the autumn of 2008, injuries and differences of opinion with the then national management leaving him in the Test wilderness when, after flirting with the idea of switching sports to football, he joined the Rebels.

"I had always intended to return here after two years," he said when asked if the decision of Martin Johnson to stand down as the England team manager after last year's World Cup had prompted him to come back. "I had the possibility of one more year there, but after weighing things up decided to return.

"Sale are an ambitious club and it is really enjoyable here. I have spoken to Stuart Lancaster [Johnson's successor] and being involved in the 2015 World Cup is a long-term goal but I have to focus on this season. Sale have a real chance of finishing in the top four.

"It is a matter of starting the season well. I am excited at the prospect. Stories about me sell newspapers but this is about me coming back and playing rugby. Manchester is a great city with a great vibe and as someone who loves football, I am looking forward to seeing some games. As a Chelsea supporter, I will not have to choose sides.

"No matter what I say, it will be about me playing for England, but I just want to have a great season. I am glad I went to Australia because they do things differently there and I want to impose some of the things I learned there, not just in attack. It is about how they understand the game and focus on little details."

Steve Diamond, the Sale chief executive who signed Cipriani, said he expected the fly-half to help the Sharks attract big crowds at their new stadium in Salford. "Football is big here and the only way to get people through the gate is to play attractive rugby and a 10 is pivotal to that. He is two years older now and he is ambitious and we do not expect any problems."