BACKROW forward Marco Mama looks set to leave Worcester Warriors at the end of next month but he’s no intention of taking his foot off the pedal.

The Nigerian-born player will head back to parent club Bristol after his Worcester loan spell expires on February 28 for the Ashton Gate outfit's Championship run-in.

However, Mama will return to Sixways on a permanent basis in the summer after agreeing a deal with Warriors.

Warriors have five Premiership matches before Mama’s loan agreement expires, including crucial fixtures against London Irish and Bath.

“There are some pivotal games in the next month and a tough run of Premiership games back to back,” said 24-year-old Mama.

“The squad is going to be tested physically and mentality and we have to be ready for the challenges.”

Warriors, who are 10th in the Premiership, face in-form Exeter Chiefs at Sixways on Sunday (3pm), before a crucial trip to second-bottom London Irish on February 7 (1pm).

Mama’s loan stint at Warriors is scheduled to end after their trip to Northampton Saints on February 27 (2.45pm).

“I feel I have done my time in the Championship because I have been there for six years and I feel the Championship has been very good for me,” said Mama.

“It has given me game-time as a young player within a strong environment, which Bristol is, and I have been exposed to some very good players who have come to Bristol. I have tried to learn from them as much as I can.

“The reason I had a loan agreement in my contract was because I felt the time was right to test myself at a different level and it’s been very successful so far.

“Worcester haven’t put me at the bottom of the pecking order because I am a loan player.

“I have had a lot of game-time which is what I really wanted and I feel I have improved as a player and worked closely with the coaches.”

Mama is a former pupil at Somerset’s Millfield School and came up against familiar faces when Warriors travelled to Bath for their festive league match at the Recreation Ground.

“There were four players in the Bath team who I played with at school,” he said.

“David Denton was one of my school-mates from Zimbabwe and there was Jonathan Joseph, Chris Cook and prop Henry Thomas, who I played with at Millfield School.

“It was good to play against those guys because they have been very successful in their Bath careers and it’s great to challenge yourself against international players.”

Mama also had positive words for Bath lock Will Spencer, who joins Warriors in the summer.

“I have played against Will a couple of times,” said Mama.

“He played for London Welsh and I am pretty sure he was part of the side who prevented Bristol from being promoted from the Championship in the play-off finals.

“When I played against him, he was a strong player and very physical and will bring a strong edge to the Worcester pack.”

Mama has enjoyed his spell in English rugby’s top tier.

“The Premiership is on another level to the Championship,” he said.

“There’s top-class opposition every week and the biggest step as a player is the emphasis you need to have around the tight parts of your game like set-piece, defence and structure.

“You need to consistently perform in the nitty gritty parts of the game week in week out because you get tested to the full.”