Honour of captaincy sees Titterell keen to repay Leeds’s faith

After suffering a season-ending knee injury last November, the former England and British Lions hooker was forced to agonise on the sidelines as Leeds were relegated from the top-flight.

That sparked an exodus of the Headingley Carnegie club’s best players, but Leeds have persuaded Titterrell to stay on as club captain, sign a new two-year deal and work with incoming head coach Diccon Edwards to rebuild the fallen Yorkshire side.

The club were further boosted last night when US international prop Mike MacDonald also committed his future to the club with a new two-year deal.

“It is a massive honour to be asked to captain any team but especially so by Leeds Carnegie in the position that we find ourselves,” said Titterrell, who was out of contract at the end of last season.

“The club has shown a great deal of faith in me and I want to repay that in the coming years. I was honoured to be asked to give my input into how we rebuild the club and I know that we will be able to put Leeds back on the map.

“Obviously there was a bit of uncertainty following relegation.

“Unfortunately I was not able to contribute on the field in the second half of last season but I feel I have a lot to still contribute over the next five or six years.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity of getting back out there and playing and I am very excited about the future. We have a chance to define where the club is going over the next three or four years this season.

“We have got some great young talent here and I honestly believe we can build something over the long term that will make us a sustainable side in the Premiership.”

Titterrell is confident he will be 100 per cent fit for the start of the new season and admitted that his hunger for the game has only been increased by his time out.

He added: “I can’t wait for pre-season to get started. I am now seven months post-operation on my knee and if we had games, I could be in with a chance of playing.

“However, with us not having a pre-season game until August, I will use the time wisely to make sure that I am fully recovered and ready to go once the season is upon us.”

With the returning Edwards back at Headingley in a lead role after a spell with the RFU, Titterrell believes his knowledge of the game will be key to Leeds’s revival.

“I did not spend much time with Diccon in my first six months here and obviously last season he was at the RFU,” said Titterrell, pictured below.

“But everyone at the club cannot speak highly enough of him and his knowledge of player development, especially here in Yorkshire, is second to none.

“I think he is a fantastic signing for the club and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge about our young players, who will enjoy working alongside him again, and talent across the country from his time with the England set-up.

“Together we will be trying to put the pieces back together and working towards building a core foundation to our club.

“We will be rebranding the side and giving clear direction about what we are and what we represent. Diccon is someone who brings a lot of energy and will give us clear direction and objectives,” added Titterrell.

Edwards, who earlier this week signed former Carnegie fly-half Joe Ford after a 12-month stint at Heineken Cup finalists Northampton, said that Titterrell was a natural choice as his captain.

“He is everything that epitomises the attitude we want to bring to our squad next season,” said Edwards, who succeeded Neil Back last month.

“His attitude, dedication and loyalty to the club are an example to every player.”