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Wilkinson eyeing development
24/01/2008 14:06 - (SA)
London - England flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson said his decision to spurn big money offers to stay with Newcastle Falcons was to do more with developing a successful club than winning silverware.
Wilkinson, 28, this week signed a two-and-a-half year contract with Newcastle amid fears he would quit after fitness coach Steve Black, a close friend of the World Cup winner, left the club recently.
But despite several tempting offers he has agreed to extend his stay at Kingston Park, where he has been for 11 seasons, making 163 appearances, and scoring almost 2 000 points.
"There is a school of thought that suggests that by extending my contract at Newcastle Falcons I may not be making the best decision for my England future," Wilkinson said in his column for Thursday's edition of The Times newspaper.
"Or that I have let loyalty get in the way of the bigger picture, or that I am missing the opportunity to go and amass a load of silverware elsewhere.
"I would not stay at Newcastle if I did not believe that winning leagues and cups was within us," he said, adding that "accumulating silverware and titles and having a splendid trophy cabinet to look at in my retirement is no longer the absolute priority".
Top priority
"What I will judge my career on is not my medals but my contribution. I want to get the best out of myself and the people around me.
"So top of my priority list is being part of a team who give me the opportunity to do that, to be challenged every day and to fulfil my potential.
"I believe I can do that at Newcastle and although, in the short term, it does not look as though we are going to win as many trophies as other teams, I want to help the club to get to the point where they can."
Newcastle finished ninth in the English Premiership last season. The northeastern club have not won the league since 1998 and their sole silverware has come from domestic cup wins in 2001 and 2004.
Newcastle stood by Wilkinson when a series of injuries threatened to potentially end his career after he kicked the injury-time match-winning drop-goal against Australia in the 2003 World Cup final but he insisted: "Have I been blinded by loyalty? No.
"Of course I feel loyal to the people who pay me and the people around me. But I would be making this decision if I had been at the club for only a year.
"And if I had never been through those three years of injury when Newcastle were so loyal to me, it would still be the same.
"I am not staying because I feel I am indebted here. It is because I can grow and be successful and enjoy it here."
- AFP
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