Cherry: I turned down other offers to remain in capital

SCOTLAND hooker Dave Cherry has become the latest Edinburgh player to pledge his future to the team, by signing a two- year extension to his contract.

The 32- year- old, who joined from Nice in 2018, revealed he had had offers from elsewhere but insisted that staying put was the best option.

“When you have other clubs talking to you it’s nice to know that you’re desired,” he said. “But I love playing here, I love living here, so ultimately it was the decision that was best for me and my partner Olivia. The allure of the sun is always there. But when I looked at everything, this was the right thing to do. We’re happy to be staying.”

Having become a key component of the Edinburgh squad in recent seasons, Cherry appears sure to be involved in Sunday’s home Champions Cup Pool A game against Saracens. Both teams are already through to the last 16, but with home draws in the next round still up for grabs, he believes the match will be extremely competitive.

“In Europe it’s pretty important to get a home game come the knock- outs, so both teams will be going hammer and tongs to try to get a win,” he added. “We just have to hope we can deliver a big performance at the weekend.”

And with the Six Nations just around the corner, Cherry hopes to add to his current tally of eight caps by being named in the squad to face England at Twickenham, where he made his debut two years ago in a memorable Calcutta Cup win for Gregor Townsend’s side.

“I got to lift the trophy at the end, which was incredible. Any time you play for your country it’s an honour, so if I’m selected for the England game I’ll be delighted. And if not I’ll be there to help the team get into the right place for the match.”