“I’ve still got a lot to learn, but at 22 I’ve got time and this is an opportunity I’ve been desperate for and that I want to take now,” said Whitehead, who toured with England Counties last summer.

“I’ve got so much to thank Coventry for. I’ve had two great seasons and one thing I certainly wasn’t going to do was take a sideways step – if I moved, it was only ever going to be if a Premiership club came in.

“My game has come on in leaps and bounds at Cov by playing regularly, I’ve improved enormously and developed under the coaching of Phil Maynard, Dave Addleton and Tommy Hayes.

“It was a massive honour for me to be given the captaincy for the last five games, and given different circumstances I wouldn’t blink twice at staying with Cov.

“It’s been a bitter-sweet end to the season, losing the last two games, but Cov are going to finish eighth or ninth in the league which they have got to be happy at after all the uncertainty of last summer.

“They have terrific fans, and I wish the club every success in the future.”

England Saxons cap Rob Webber and New Zealander Joe Ward have finished the season as first-choice hookers at Wasps following the retirement in February of former French captain Raphael Ibinez, and Whitehead acknowledges the size of the task to establish himself.

“I know that I’m going there as third or fourth choice and it is not going to be made easy,” he said, “but with a good pre-season hopefully I will get my chance and then it is up to me to take it with both hands.”

Kiwi No.8 Laurie McGlone, who was player of the season in 2007-08, is also leaving Cov after two seasons to join league rivals Cornish Pirates.

“I’ve had a great time here and really enjoyed it, but it’s time for a change of scenery to perhaps freshen up my game,” said McGlone, Cov’s leading try scorer in each of the last two seasons.

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