The versatile back kicked a penalty in Leinster’s narrow 33-32 win over Cardiff last Friday in the province’s PRO14 opener, to bring his career tally for the club to 419 points.

That may be a long way off Johnny Sexton’s 1,344 points, but McFadden is comfortably second best of the province’s current players. He kicked 107 points in the successful 2011/2012 season, and though he hasn’t reached more than 50 since 2015/16, he’s ready to do so, now that Joey Carbery has moved on to pastures new.

“I did a lot more place kicking back then. I really enjoy having that responsibility, when I can get it, but the reason I hadn’t in the last few seasons is because I had a quad injury in 2017 that kept me out for most of the year,” he said. “I was very restricted with the amount of kicking I could do after that. Last year I got back into it a little bit, but with Johnny, Ross [Byrne], and Joey there, there wasn’t that many opportunities there for me to step up, but the fact Joey is gone now, I’ll definitely be looking to be a viable option for games. I’m happy to get up and knock them over when the lads can’t kick them.”

Few centres or wingers become regular goal kickers, but the Dubliner is not claiming he was discriminated against because of his position.

“My percentages wouldn’t be up to the level of the lads,” he said. “I step in for the odd game, I was happy to do that, but you have to look at Johnny, Ross, even Felipe [Contepomi], they’re kicking over an entire season and they’re still over 85%; that is impressive, there’s not many guys who can do that.

“I definitely don’t think I was hard done by. It’s a strength I have, but I don’t think I’m on the same level of the boys.”

Sexton and Byrne are likely to be responsible for most of Leinster’s points this season, but McFadden is also eager to bump the figures as part of the province’s desire to become a greater attacking threat.

Stuart Lancaster has spoken about the will to trouble defences more and the arrival of Contepomi, Leinster’s former No 10, as backs coach could be a masterstroke.

“When I... got my first few caps in 2007, I was training with Felipe, who was one of the people I looked up to, from a rugby perspective,” said McFadden. “We’re all energised by him coming in. It’s strange for a few of us, who have played with him, for sure, but for the younger guys he’s already brought his own spices to the recipe, and I think we’re going to see them over the coming months. Hopefully we’ll be a lot more potent as a backline.

“I think the messages that he has been sending through to the team are definitely very simple ones, and the stuff he’s doing in training seems to be working.”