The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Warriors captain commits future to Scotstoun until 2020 –
GLASGOW: Captain considers spending rest of his career at Scotstoun after penning new deal
Glasgow may not be the place in the sun Ryan Wilson dreams of but the Warriors skipper admits it will always feel like home.
Wilson is set to rack up a decade in the city after extending his Scotstoun stay by another two years.
But the back-rower confesses he had no plans to put down roots when he initially made the move north from Moseley in 2010.
The 28-year-old was raised in Surrey but now admits he can see his family staying north of the border long-term – just so long as the miserable Scottish weather takes a turn for the better.
The Scotland forward – whose new deal ties him to Warriors until at least May 2020 – said: “When I came up from Moseley in 2010 it was just a two-year thing. My wife said to me recently she couldn’t believe we’ve been up here eight years now.
“We’ve had three kids and got a house up here now, the lot.
“It’s such a great city and we’ve just bought into it and the club as well. We’ve come to view this place as home and I think you’ll find a lot of players who say the same. Just look at the number of players who once they leave this club end up coming back.
“At the end of each season we have a dinner for the players and their partners and the guys who are leaving stand up and give a speech. Listening to those boys speak you realise how special a club it is we’re at.
“Could I see myself staying in Glasgow once I retire? Maybe if the weather brightens up a bit. Last week got me down a bit seeing the weather in London while we had one day of sun. So if it brightens up a wee bit, you never know.”
Wilson was appointed club captain by new head coach Dave Rennie last summer and the partnership between the pair has borne fruit immediately.
Glasgow head into Saturday’s 1872 Cup decider against Edinburgh with the comfort of knowing a home semi-final slot has already been secured after their impressive start to the Guinness PRO14 campaign.
And the skipper reckons the partnership he has struck up with his new boss has been a crucial element in this season’s success so far.
“We’ve got a good relationship. The first thing Dave and I spoke about was the need to be honest with each other. The relationship wouldn’t work if we weren’t going to be straight with each other,” said Wilson.
“Sometimes I’ll tell him something and he’ll completely disagree. Other times he’ll back me, but the main thing is having that trust.
“He told me he saw a side to me that is good with the boys, that I get on with and can relate to most of the boys in the squad.
“But he also saw the side to me that when I’m out on the pitch, I’m always there to do a job. I’m happy to call people out if that’s required.
“That’s the way I like to lead. As most people will know, I don’t like to take myself too seriously around the club but when it comes down to business, I switch on.”