HAMPSHIRE new boy Rilee Rossouw has revealed that Neil McKenzie recommended the county to him long before he signed his Kolpak deal.

The left-handed batsman is hoping to have a similar impact to McKenzie after giving up his South Africa career, along with Kyle Abbott, to sign a three-year deal at The Ageas Bowl.

Rossouw, 27, had never been to England before arriving with his young family earlier this month.

He said: “I spoke a lot to Neil Macc about his days at Hampshire, he said it’s one of the best counties to play for, not just for the facilities but because of the top-class people. Others said the same.

“But family members were the main people I spoke to about my decision because if they’re not happy I won’t be happy.”

Rossouw is settling in fast with the help of his new teammates, but admits the first ball he received at the Ageas Bowl was far from friendly.

“I received a jaffa of a first ball from little Ben Stokes - aka Stevo! (Ryan Stevenson) - so it could only get better from there,” he laughs.

“It was the first time I faced a Duke, which seams around a lot but at least stays hard through the day - it’s more likely to fly off the bat for four!

“I was surprised how well the bowlers can control the ball in what were tough conditions for them on day one.

“This is my first time I’ve been to England - I’d never been further than Gatwick airport before! - so it’s all pretty new to me.

“I’m just trying to get as much knowledge as I can for the first game.”

Rossouw scored 1239 runs at 38 in 36 one-day internationals and has a first-class average of 44.32, but acknowledges: “There are going to be some challenges, I’m going to have to work out something different with my technique but am only going to discover that by seeing what does and what doesn’t work for me.

“The thing is to adapt quickly. But if I need advice or support there are a lot of guys who I can chat to.

"The squad as a whole is a fantastic bunch of guys and Kyle’s been a big help to me. He’s told me what to expect around the circuit.

“It’s going to be a hectic schedule but I don’t feel any pressure whatsoever. I don’t set myself targets, I just want to score as many runs as possible.”

Rossouw, who is living with his family in Bishops Waltham, is not yet sure where he will be batting.

“I’ll be somewhere in the top four on the four-day circuit and in the top three for white ball, but it hasn’t been decided yet,” he said.

“Hopefully we can come to sort of agreement! I can’t wait to get going.”