Ian Madigan Opens Up About His Future
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A rumoured €500,000 a year offer has put Ian Madigan in a very favourable position.
Contract renewal season is upon us and Madigan is attracting interest from the Aviva Premiership and speaking to the media in Dublin yesterday, the Leinster man was very honest in his dealings.
At the moment, just going through the process of weighing up my options. Still waiting for Leinster and the IRFU to get back, but the way it is now, you have to look at all your options.
Madigan even went on to discuss the teams reportedly involved. First up was Bristol, the ambitious Championship side. However, for Madigan, that may not be the most secure move.
I certainly wouldn’t be looking to play in the Championship. If you did decide to move to a club like Bristol, you’re taking a massive risk in them not getting promoted. That would definitely factor into my decision, if I was considering going there.
Bristol are rumoured to be offering Madigan a massive €500,00 a year to sign on the dotted but they’re not the only English side with whom the 26 year old has been linked.
The appeal of a club like Harlequins is that they are a club that looks to win The Premiership every year. They’re not just there to make up the numbers or to look back on their season and go ‘oh we made top four this year, that was a successful year’.
You’ve got an Irish coach there, Conor O’Shea, who plays a very expansive style.
And while it seems likely that a move to England is on the cards, Madigan is conscious that that may not be the best option for his international prospects. In that regard, perhaps a move to one of the other provinces could be appealing.
I think you’d be naive to rule it out. The IRFU probably want to keep as many players in Ireland as possible. If you are within Ireland, you are giving yourself the best possible chance to be picked for the national team.
It seems almost certain that Madigan won’t be warming the bench with Leinster next year and it will certainly be interesting to see what comes of this over the next couple of months.
