Lee Mossop has signed a two-year contract extension with Salford Red Devils that will see the club captain remain at the AJ Bell Stadium til at least the end of the 2022 season.
The former England forward joined Salford in 2017 from Wigan Warriors, and led the Red Devils to their first Super League Grand Final appearance last year.
Speaking about extending his Salford stay, the 31-year-old said: “I love playing at Salford, so this was an easy decision to make. I play my best rugby under Watto (Ian Watson) and I remember last time he extended I did the same straight away.
“At the moment, we’ve got a great group, so my job as captain isn’t a difficult one.
“We’ve changed the culture since I first joined the club, with every player coming here to achieve.
“The players we’ve signed recently all have hunger and passion. They’ve come for the right reasons.”
Mossop has seen a lot of players come and go at the club since he became a Red Devil three years ago, with almost a full team departing after last year’s memorable season.
And speaking about that historic Grand Final appearance in 2019, Mossop highlighted that he is determined to bring success to the AJ Bell.
“It was outstanding to lead the team out at Old Trafford and at the DW, with that away end packed.
“We all love playing in those big occasions. Now we’ve had time to reflect, it’s something that drives us on.
“I want to lift some silverware during my time at the club.”
And head coach, Ian Watson, who also recently extended his contract with Salford, spoke highly of his number eight.
Watson said: “When he joined us in 2017, he embraced the challenges that we at Salford face and quickly established himself as a leader and the captain of our group.
“He’s driven the standards of being a team that competes and challenges the best teams, by pushing players to be better and leading with his actions on and off the field.
“We all saw in the run up to last year’s Grand Final and the last few games before the break, that he’s amongst the best front-rowers in our game and hopefully over the next few years Salford and Moose (Mossop) can have further success together.”
It was Mossop who sealed the victory over his old team, Wigan Warriors, as his side ran out 4-28 winners and recorded only their fourth victory at Wigan in 40 years to book themselves a place in 2019’s Super League Grand Final.
And Salford’s Director of Rugby and operations, Ian Blease, who also captained the Red Devils during his playing career, is happy to see Mossop sign on the dotted line.
Blease added: “We’ve been talking with Lee for some time now and I’m really pleased to have secured our captain’s signature for the next two years.
“Lee is a winner and he epitomises our club’s vision and values. His determination to succeed makes him a great leader of men.
“He’s been exemplary as a player since he arrived at our club and I’m looking forward to working with Lee again for the next two years.”
With the current Super League season on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is unsure when Mossop will be leading his side out again. But when he does, bringing silverware home for the Salford fans will be the captain’s focus.
Image credit: PA Images
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