This post was originally published on this site.
In a big statement of intent from the Ospreys, Dan Edwards has signed a new contract and turned down a move to Leicester
Wales outside-half Dan Edwards has turned down a lucrative contract offer from Leicester Tigers to commit his future to the Ospreys.
Edwards was one of the most sought after players on the market and WalesOnline understands English giants Leicester were keen to offer the 22-year-old a three-year contract in the region of £250,000 a year. But Edwards has decided to commit his future to the Ospreys which is a huge boost for the Welsh club.
The 22-year-old fly half has already made 42 appearances for the Ospreys, scoring 278 points in the process, and has featured seven times on the international stage for Wales.
“I’m really happy to be staying with the Ospreys,” he said.
“Like a lot of the boys here, I grew up supporting this club and it was always a dream for me to pull on the black jersey.
“There’s a quality group of boys here. We’ve got a young core that play above their years and some experienced boys that bring it all together for us.
“We’ve shown that when we’re on our game, we can go toe-to-toe with anyone on our day.
“The staff and players here all want the Ospreys to be back where we should be, competing with the top teams and challenging for silverware.
“So if I can play a part in that, that is something that I will strive to do.”
The Ospreys got dealt a hammer blow last month when Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake announced they will be playing for Gloucester next season.
But they have responded positively by re-signing the likes of new Wales caps Harri Deaves and Morgan Morse.
The Welsh Rugby Union are in the process of reducing the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three, with the Ospreys and Scarlets in the firing line.
Despite the uncertainty the WRU are guaranteeing the contracts of every Welsh-qualified player.
But retaining Edwards is a big statement of intent by the Ospreys.
“Dan signing a new deal with the Ospreys is exciting news for us and our supporters,” said Ospreys head coach Mark Jones.
“When you have players like him that want to sign a new deal, despite some trying times in Welsh rugby, it speaks volumes about what the club means to the people that are from here.
“We see Dan as an instrumental figure for us over the coming seasons.
“His ability to block out the noise, quarterback our play and his decisiveness as a ball carrier have all been catalytic to us evolving our attack and scoring more tries over the last 12 months.
“His rugby IQ and his dedication to improving are both second to none and we see him being a player that will continue to thrive on both the club and international stage for many years to come.
“Dan is one of many boys from our region that we have helped develop into incredible players and people, and as a club we will always continue to place a high importance on that.”
