Ashton reveals his 'strange' tackle practice

SPOTLIGHT: Chris Ashton said being without a rugby club left him so frustrated he took some of his excess energy out tackling his wife in the kitchen.

The 35-year-old dual-code international won the last of his 44 England caps in 2019 and Ashton feared his career might be over until Leicester coach Steve Borthwick offered him a short-term contract in February after his release from Worcester.

But the wing has now agreed a new one-season deal with Premiership leaders Leicester the month after he became the leading try scorer in the competition’s history.

“I watch a lot of rugby anyway, but to watch it and not have that association, and not being able to go out there and have that desire to win was driving the missus mental,” Ashton told reporters.

“I tried to tackle her in the kitchen a few times to try and get a bit of the eagerness out.

“Any opportunity that came up might not necessarily have been the right one. It had to be the right for me and thankfully Steve was the one who rang.”

Ashton added he was thinking of coaching the next generation of finishers when his playing days were over.

“I will play for as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve got another year to ride it out a little bit longer, but the more it goes on I definitely think the rugby environment is the one for me.

“I don’t think me doing a 9-5 office job is going to suit any time soon! I’d like to help wingers and back three players find a way to become better finishers and how to get on the ball and score tries. I think there’s a niche market there for me.”