The 21-year-old’s early season heroics in a Wasps shirt saw him being widely touted for a spot in Martin Johnson’s Senior EPS squad.

But disaster struck when the number nine dislocated a shoulder in the 21-20 win against Harlequins on December 27 and despite initial reports suggesting a four-week recovery, Simpson is set to be out for up to three months. 

“It was just a very frustrating time for me to get the injury but once it happened there was not much else that I could do,” said Simpson.

“It was frustrating to get an injury when people were mentioning England because I would love to be involved with them.

“I did get a call from England coach Brian Smith when I got injured and he said hard luck to me and that he really had been watching me and hopefully we’ll catch up when I’m back fit again.

“I’ll have some communication with him when I am back playing again because playing for England is something I really want to be doing in the future.

“But for now I just need to concentrate on getting fit again. It is always going to be hard to pick that up when I come back to it but I’m confident in the fitness staff we have at the club that I’ll be in good shape and I can come back and play well again.

Danny Care and Paul Hodgson shared the scrum-half duties in the autumn and neither covered themselves in glory as England stuttered to just a solitary victory – beating Argentina 16-9.

But while Simpson might have been regarded by many experts as the man to make the jersey his own in the Six Nations, the humble 21-year-old won’t believe his own press just yet.

“In general I try not to read too many reports because if people write something good then they generally go a little bit over the top and you’re the next big thing,” added Simpson.

“Then if you don’t have the best game then you’re suddenly not the player you were before.

“There are a lot of good young scrum halves around at the minute but there are also a lot of really talented older number nines who aren’t even that old so it is very competitive.

“Paul Hodgson I think is terrific and he has been playing week in week out in the Premiership and excelling so there is a lot of competition like there is in any position.”