Money no issue for 'Million-pound Mike'
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:11
Mike Phillips: Happy to stay at Ospreys
British and Irish Lions star Mike Philips insists that money was not the motivation behind him signing a new deal with the Ospreys, despite the scrumhalf becoming the first Welsh player to sign a million-pound deal.
The Ospreys fought off the interests of some of the biggest and richest clubs in Europe - including French Top 14 powerhouses Toulouse, Stade Francais, Racing-Metro 92 and Toulon, as well as English giants Leicester and Saracens - to secure the signature of Philips.
To do so, the Welsh region had to cough up a deal worth up to a whopping £1.4m.
Rated as one of the top players in his position in the world, Philips will be the best-paid Welsh player around, but despite the massive pay cheque the No.9 insists that money wasn't the determining factor in him deciding to sign the four-year deal.
"I want to further my international career with Wales over the next few years and get on the next Lions tour [Australia in 2013]," he told the Western Mail.
"If I'm going to achieve those longer term aims, then the Ospreys and the coaches here will clearly be a big factor in that.
"I don't see that there's a need for me, or anybody, to want to go anywhere else.
"The Ospreys have helped me to develop as a player no end over the last three years and the improvement in my game has allowed me to represent Wales and the Lions."
The resigning of Philips is further evidence that the Ospreys have big ambitions, with the big spending Welsh region also securing the continued services of world class players such as Ireland wing Tommy Bowe and former All Black loose forward Marty Holah.
That ambition is part of what makes the Ospreys such an attractive place to play for Philips, and he says that becoming the first Welsh side to conquer Europe is the primary goal.
"With the set-up here, everything is in place to go all the way [in the Heineken Cup]," he said, "There's a lot of expectations on us, but that's something that we just have to live with."
"We have ambitions to be among the best sides in Europe.
"We aren't there yet, but we are heading in the right direction."
Phillips could make his first Wales appearance in a year against Triple Crown-chasing Ireland in Dublin on Saturday and is determined to be fully fit for the Ospreys'Heineken Cup quarter-final with French club Biarritz on April 10.
"With my future sorted, it means that I can just concentrate now on getting myself up to speed for some of the big games that we’ve got coming up," he added.
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