Wales international Thomas Young close to new Wasps deal

New Wasps supremo Lee Blackett is confident star flanker Thomas Young will put club before country by pledging his future to the Coventry-based club.

Out of contract this summer, Young must return to Wales in order to add to his three caps, the last of which he won in the 2019 Six Nations.

In February, Young’s father, Dai, left his role as the club’s director of rugby fuelling fears the 27-year-old openside would quit the side he joined from Cardiff in 2014.

However, Blackett told The Rugby Paper: “I fully expect Thomas to be here next year.

“We’ve seen it before with the Fords at Bath how it can be difficult for a player when their father leaves, but in that first week after Dai left and we were playing Leicester, I couldn’t believe how professional Thomas was about it.

“He was so focussed, so determined and he spoke to me personally about how much he loved the club and how much he loves the players and the group. It amazed me actually and I’m hoping we’ll get something across the line in the near future.”

With Young seemingly prepared to put his Wales dream on hold, Blackett added: “The big thing for him is the players around him. He’s obviously loyal to his dad and they have a great relationship, but Thomas is driven to be the best he can be for Wasps.

“He’s built some unbelievable friendships with the players here and he fully wants to be here, performing to his best with them.”

Meanwhile, after steering Wasps to fifth in the Premiership as interim head coach, Blackett is delighted at being confirmed as Dai Young’s successor.

He said: “It wasn’t a job I asked for, it was more the other way around and they wanted someone who knew what Wasps were about.

“I’ve got the board’s full backing and we’re pretty happy with where we are. We just want to improve week-on-week now when we get back playing.”

NEALE HARVEY