http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....rs-future/article-2991197-detail/article.html
Leicester Tigers flanker Tom Croft signs a new deal
Leicester Tigers flanker Tom Croft
Leicester Tigers flanker Tom Croft has signed a new deal to stay at Welford Road.
His signature is great news for the club with speculation mounting over the last few days that he was the main target for Bath in their bid to find a replacement for departing skipper Luke Watson.
Croft has become a big-name player in the last 18 months, having come of age on the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2009.
Croft, who has made 87 appearances since his debut in 2005, is one of the first names on the team sheet at Leicester and, with 22 England caps in the bag, he has a bright international future ahead of him.
The 25-year-old's new deal is likely to be a lucrative one with many other clubs in England and France prepared to tempt him away from Welford Road with big-money offers.
Not only is Croft a huge danger in open play but, as he proved during the autumn internationals with England, he is a go-to jumper in the line-out.
He is currently sidelined with a broken shoulder sustained in the final November game, which England lost 22-11 to South Africa.
Tigers' director of rugby Richard Cockerill said he was delighted to get the signature of a man who will be central to the club's attempts to win a third consecutive English Premiership ***le this season.
"We all obviously delighted he has re-signed," said Cockerill . "He has been here quite a while and has been through the Academy and made progress to become a world-class back-row forward.
"He really wanted to stay and the club wanted him to stay. It's great news that we have reached agreement and he has signed.
"As a young man, Tom Croft came here and had to work really hard and he had a real crack at it. That epitomised the spirit of this club.
"He is a senior player at a relatively young age and he proves what hard work and determination can do in this game.
"He is still getting better too. He is not new to the international scene but now he is being thought about as a world-class player at the top level of the game.
"Credit to him. He is another example of how well our environment and system works."
Cockerill then warned off other clubs who might be hoping to tempt away other Tigers players of the calibre of Croft. "It proves that money is not the be-all and end-all with our players," he said.
"It is about playing in an environment that suits them best and playing for a club they love.
"We are a unique set-up and there is no way other clubs would be able to buy that success. You can only be like Leicester, if you are Leicester."
Tigers are expected to announce the signing today.
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Puts an end to that saga.
