England international Alex Coles has penned a new contract to remain at Northampton Saints, the Club can today confirm.The 24-year-old, who can play at lock or in the back row, brought up a century of senior appearances in Black, Green and Gold against Sale Sharks on Saturday, having initially joined Northampton’s Academy set-up aged 13 and progressed through the ranks into the first team.Coles has scored ten tries so far for Saints, with three of those coming in 12 appearances this season. He also claimed the Club’s Breakthrough Player of the Season award in 2021/22 after making 29 appearances in a single campaign, and captained Northampton on two occasions.
“On the pitch, it feels like we have something special brewing and I wanted to make sure I am involved in that. There’s a big group of guys that I’ve grown up playing alongside, and now I really want to be part of a group that delivers success for Northampton by winning some trophies.
“Over the last couple of years, I definitely feel like my role within the team has grown. I started out as a listener and a helper, but now I have a more senior role in leading the lineout, and with 100 games under my belt I have the experience to be able to support the squad’s other leaders with a real maturity growing now amongst this group.
“Another big part of this decision is thinking about where I would be best placed to try to get back in the England side. To do that, you have to play well and improve. The coaching here is excellent, development is a core value at the Club, and that really manifests itself when you see how much many of the players improve here as a result of the support we receive from all the staff.
“So, I am excited about what is to come for me. I feel like there’s still a lot to get out of my game, and I’m working hard on that every single day.”
