Pull of going home too strong
Explain your decision to leave...
“First of all it was a really tough decision. I am loving my time at Leicester, always have done through the ups and the downs.
“More recently we’ve been struggling a little bit, but now we seem to be playing some good stuff. I’ve been loving that.
“For me, being from the north, with my family, my girlfriend being up there, it was just the opportunity to represent where I’m from.
“I might not be there in the same capacity again. It was a decision, I don’t know whether it was right or wrong, but it’s what you make of it in the end.
“The first thing is I’m glad it’s done, and the decision is made. I look forward to that when it comes, but I’m 100 per cent committed and loving my time here at Leicester. I want to go on and do some good things this season.”
The pull of returning home...
“Since leaving school at 16 I came to Leicester, I was here for four years, went to Bath for four years and then have been back here ever since.
“I’ve never really had the opportunity to go and do it.
“I love representing Leicester Tigers, and always will do. It’s a really special club and is a great place to play your rugby. I enjoyed my time at Bath too.
“My family are up there, and it’s just the opportunity to represent where I’m from.
“I’ve been away since I was 16, and have always had this niggling right, thing in my head that I’d love to play for a team where I’m from one day, have my family in the stands more often than not.
“They find it a little bit more difficult now. It’s my grandparents and people like that, who people might not think about.
“They struggle to come and watch me play. Maybe I can have a bit more of that next year, my family there.
“There’s other things off the field too. I’ve got a couple of businesses up north.
“First and foremost I made it because I thought it was a good rugby decision, it’s where I’m from, but there are other things with it as well. I’m glad it’s done and so I can crack on here.”
Given how well Leicester are doing, is leaving now a slight gamble?
“The reason the decision was so tough was because of how much I am enjoying it and the rugby we’re playing, course it is.
“But you’ve got to make a decision at the end of the day. I probably went with my gut, more than anything.
“I don’t see it as a gamble or a risk or any of those words, really.
“Look, I don’t know whether it is right or wrong, but I want to try and make it work and do the best I possibly can when that time comes around.
“For the time being, I am actually loving being here at this brilliant club, a massive club, with a great group of lads, who are playing under Steve some good stuff at the minute.
“The impact Steve and the coaches have had, it was obviously a difficult and emotional conversation with Steve.
“The club couldn’t have done any more in terms of the infrastructure and everything in and around the coaches in place, it wasn’t anything to do with that, it was more about the connection with being back home.”
How satisfying is nine wins from nine after the darker times of recent years?
“When I look back, when you’re in it, you’re just playing the best you can to get results, but you look back now and there were some tough seasons.
“I remember that game when we were away at Newcastle on a Friday night, we were second bottom, they were bottom, basically whoever won that game was going to be safe. “And you think, a club like Leicester, who have been at the top for many, many years, it was the big story, wasn’t it? Bottom
of the league and relegation, all these things.”
Any feedback from Eddie Jones after missing out in the autumn internationals?
“I spoke to Eddie a couple of times over the summer, presquad selections. There were a couple of things, there always is.
“That’s the brilliant thing with the feedback you get from Eddie and his coaching team, it’s very clear and you can go away as a player and work hard on it. Hopefully show the improvements in your game.”
Did your recent England experience influence your Sale decision?
“No, no, no. I think with the selection for England, it’s very much out of your control, it’s Eddie and the coaches’ decision, whether they pick you or not.
“Again the bread and butter of what you’re doing day in, day out at the club is the thing that matters, because if you don’t do that, you’ve got no chance of getting selected.”
George Ford, has explained his decision to leave Leicester Tigers at the end of the season and join Sale Sharks. Bobby Bridge heard what the 28-year-old England fly-half had to say...