Chris Ashton grateful for Leicester chance after equalling Premiership tries record
- Published
Chris Ashton has equalled the 92 tries scored by former Leicester winger Tom Varndell
Chris Ashton says he is grateful to be given a chance by Leicester after equalling the Premiership's all-time try-scoring record.
The 34-year-old former England winger's two tries in Tigers' win over Exeter saw him tie Tom Varndell's mark of 92.
Ashton moved to Leicester last month having left Worcester before Christmas, with his career seemingly over.
"Having spent time at home, thinking 'that was it', I am just grateful just to be back out here playing," he said.
"I'm just enjoying it, and if the added bonus is I manage to go out on a high like that I'll be happy that that's what I set out to do, and I'm hoping that's going to happen," Ashton added to BBC Sport on the prospect of breaking the record.
Ashton has played for six Premiership clubs, starting out at Northampton in 2007 before moving to Saracens in 2012 where he helped them win two titles before a season at French side Toulon in 2017.
He came back to England in 2018 with Sale and spent time last season at Harlequins before a move to Worcester in January 2021.
And the winger, who won 44 caps for England and scored 20 tries, says Leicester boss Steve Borthwick - his former coach at Saracens - has given him a new lease of life.
"When Steve rang I was like 'I'll be there tomorrow'," he said.
"Just being at home and realising this can't be over in the way that it could have been.
"To come in and come into a squad like they are at the moment and the way they are is giving me more energy.
"I just want to keep playing and keep going, I'm 35 on Tuesday but I feel like I'm 25."
Borthwick's Leicester side are 12 points clear at the top of the table and have already assured themselves a place in the end-of-season play-offs.
The Leicester boss says that Ashton's attitude has impressed him since he made the move to Welford Road.
"He's been excellent. He's an experienced player and he's competed at the top level for a long time, so he brings that experience and that's invaluable because we're a young team," he said.
"As part of this reshaping we've got to have people who've got experience competing at the top level, because ultimately Leicester Tigers haven't for quite some time, so the guys have got no experience of that.
"He's been great in bringing that, he's trained exceptionally hard, he's shown what a top quality player he is and how you train to win every day."