Tigers captain Montoya confirms he is set to leave

Julian Montoya previously played for Buenos Aries-based club Jaguares

Captain Julian Montoya has confirmed that he will leave Leicester Tigers at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old Argentina hooker would not reveal where he would be playing next season, but in October he had reportedly agreed to join French club Pau.

Montoya won the 2021-22 Premiership title in his second season with the Tigers and has made 78 appearances for the club in total.

He now has a chance to claim another English title before leaving the East Midlands side, with Leicester second in the table with three matches remaining.

"The speculation and chat and everything that people say, I can't control it," Montoya told BBC Radio Leicester.

"What I can say is that it will be my last season with Leicester Tigers, this amazing club and organisation.

"For now, you never know what the future will bring."

Montoya joins a high-profile list of Tigers that will be leaving at the end of the season.

Head coach Michael Cheika and two-time World Cup-winning South African fly-half Handre Pollard are both moving on, while Tigers' five-time Premiership-winning scrum-half Ben Youngs is set to retire.

Montoya says he will not let his imminent departure from a club that he considers "home away from home" overshadow what they still have to play for this season.

"We still have many things to do and to focus on," he said.

"In Argentina we say 'you don't want to play the game beforehand', so I think that time is going to come when I can open myself up a bit more and be a bit more emotional about it and say everything I want to say. What I will say is that I will forever be grateful.

"I respect so much this club, the fans and organisation that my focus right now is to be better for these next games.

"That is where my mindset is now."