'I never think about the end' - Brown, 39, sets new goals

Leicester Tigers full-back Mike Brown insists he is "not reasoning astir nan end" arsenic he prepares for his 20th play of elder rugby.

Brown, 39, is nan oldest subordinate successful nan Premiership but says he is refusing to contemplate retirement.

"I ne'er deliberation astir erstwhile nan extremity would beryllium aliases what nan extremity would look like," he told Rugby Union Weekly.

"You person nan overseas juncture erstwhile you think, 'I americium getting connected a spot now, tin I still do it?'

"But you get backmost retired location and effort and put a fewer of nan young lads backmost successful their place, effort not to get tally astir and stepped.

"I effort not to deliberation astir it excessively much."

Brown made his debut for Harlequins successful summertime 2005 and spent different 16 years pinch nan nine earlier moving to Newcastle and past Leicester, initially connected a short-term woody midway done nan 2022-23 season.

His performances person earned a mates of statement extensions and he scored 5 tries successful 20 appearances past season.

Brown says that his longevity is partially acknowledgment to a committedness to conditioning and rehabilitation passim his career.

He has agelong employed famed sprint coach Margot Wells, who helped hubby Allan Wells triumph 100m Olympic golden astatine Moscow 1980, to put connected further sessions during his free time.

"Finding personification you train pinch regularly and who knows your assemblage wrong out, I person done that for a agelong time," he said of Wells' involvement.

"That is each retired my ain pocket, but small things for illustration that thief you consciousness bully connected nan section and support you wounded free.

"I deliberation it has paid off. It costs a lot, but successful immoderate locomotion of life, immoderate business, aliases career, you person to put your time, money and effort if you want to do things successful that career.

"That is what I person tried to do from time one."

One of Brown's goals for this twelvemonth is to push his club-mate Freddie Steward to reclaim a starting domiciled arsenic England full-back.

Steward started successful England's astir caller lucifer – a 24-17 conclusion by New Zealand successful July – but Northampton's George Furbank was preferred for nan mostly of nan summertime circuit and nan preceding Six Nations.

"I joined a nine pinch a existent England full-back still involved, truthful I americium not needfully going to beryllium playing each week," said Brown.

"It is simply a different domiciled and clip to re-motivate yourself successful a different measurement – knowing you mightiness not beryllium involved, but you thin connected nan truth you are helping nan squad successful a different way, still driving nan squad to achieve, moreover if you are not taking nan field.

"Once Freddie Steward regains his spot, and I genuinely judge he will, if I person had a mini facet successful that by pushing him difficult astatine Leicester each day… that will springiness maine restitution arsenic well.

"And hopefully much crippled time!"

Brown is England's most-capped full-back, making nan past of 72 Test appearances successful 2018. Leicester statesman their Premiership run distant astatine Exeter connected Saturday.