Ben Foden Has committed the next phase of his career to Northampton Saints by signing a new contract. The fullback (now) with an ability to run scorching lines started his career at Chester, moving to Sale, and then coming to Saints where he was offered the chance to play at Scrum half. He got that desire out of his system, and is now Saints' current first choice full back.
FODEN RE-SIGNS FOR SAINTS
In the second signing announcement of the week, Northampton Saints have revealed that Ben Foden has re-signed for the club.
Foden, 24, joined the Saints from Sale in the summer
of 2008. After combining the roles of scrum-half and full back he has settled
in the number 15 shirt and become one of the highest rated young English
players in the Guinness Premiership.
As well as helping the Saints win their first piece of
major silverware in a decade - the European Challenge Cup - and consolidate
their place in the Guinness Premiership, 2008/09 also saw Foden make his
England debut against Italy in the Six Nations.
With 48 appearances under his belt in just 18 months
he is two away from a Saints club cap, and he has scored 11 tries. The
consistency of his performance standards is reflected by a number of man of the
match awards, including against Treviso in the Heineken Cup and Saracens in the
LV= Cup.
Foden says that he has enjoyed his time at the club so
far and is looking forward to helping bring future success to the Franklin's
Gardens outfit.
"It's been good for me so far," he said. "I've enjoyed
being in new surroundings, I feel part of the team at full back and we're playing
good rugby. I really enjoy working with Dorian, Paul and Jim. He's a former
full back but he let me choose my own path. Now I'm playing full back he's now
giving me direction and help in how to develop. All of the coaches are very
good at managing players and I'm looking forward to where they're taking the
team in the future.
"The highlights for me so far have to be winning the
Challenge Cup last year and winning against Munster this year. We need to be
playing the best teams in Europe and to compete in those games is a testament
to where we have come from and going to."
"Ben has settled into being one of our most dangerous
attacking players," said director of rugby Jim Mallinder. "He is the type of
player that suits us, with individual ability to create something from nothing
but also knowing what role he can play in the team as a whole. As well as being
a good finisher he also has awareness of what is going on around him and he has
laid on a number of tries for other players as well.
"I'm delighted that he has
signed on again with us."
More good news! I like the way in Jim fashion it is a simple announcement no mention of contract length and Jim endorsing the player likewise the re-signed player the club. Proper job!
Splendid. I also think it's great for the site that we get to run the story here in it's own right, where are we getting these news feeds from? I guess Barfly has something to do with it and for that I say thank you.
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
The lack of a term will no doubt reduce the speculation about contract renewals in years to come (although there will of course be speculation now about the length of the extension!).
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