Joe Schmidt will make a brief return to former club Clermont Auvergne in February.

According to French regional daily La Montagne, the former Ireland head coach has been drafted in by Clermont head coach Franck Azéma for a fortnight from 5 February to assist with training.

The 54-year-old served as an assistant coach at the French Top 14 club from 2007 to 2010, before his appointment as head coach of Leinster.

Since stepping down from his role as Ireland head coach following the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit, Schmidt has been recharging his batteries.

But he has been linked with a coaching return and has reportedly received a number of offers to return to the game.

Premiership side Bath have denied approaching the New Zealander but his former Ireland and Leinster back-row Jamie Heaslip believes it's only a matter of time before Schmidt returns.

"He said a while ago that he was taking a break from coaching, and I was like, 'Not a hope, you're 100% going to be coaching again,'" said Heaslip at a media event at the Aviva Stadium this week.

"He loves rugby too much."