Sharples has established himself as one of the Premiership's most clinical finishers © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Quins delight in Sevens success

News: Walkinshaw determined to keep young stars

News: Quins and Bath book finals berth

News: Sevens Series ready for kick-off

News: Battle lines drawn for new Premiership season

News: Young set to take Wasps post

News: Johnson defends multi-national squad

News: Tuilagi and Waldrom included in England squad

News: Saxons captain praises Exeter flanker

News: Gloucester add Markham

News: Narraway out of Churchill Cup

News: Leinster handed favourable draw

Players/Officials: Freddie Burns | Bryan Redpath | Charlie Sharples | Henry Trinder

Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Teams: England | Gloucester Rugby

Star winger Charlie Sharples has signed a new contract to keep him at Gloucester until the end of the 2013-14 season.

The winger was in spectacular form in the 2010-11 campaign, crossing the whitewash 18 times in 25 matches. Sharples, who progressed through the ranks after joining the academy, made his first team debut in March 2008 and after shining at the 2011 Churchill Cup is currently part of Martin Johnson's 45-man World Cup training squad.

Sharples' contract was originally going to run until the end of the 2011-12 season but the 21-year-old winger opted to sort out his future sooner rather than later. "It's a weight off my mind. I knew I wanted to stay and I was pretty certain that the club wanted me around so I thought why wait around until Christmas time?" Sharples said."It's great to get it sorted so soon. Things have been going well and now I know that I've got at least three years left with Gloucester so now I can knuckle down and focus on playing well for them."

"Gloucester's a good club to be at. I'm very settled here with all my friends and family around. I get on very well with Brush (Bryan Redpath) and Hoggy (Carl Hogg), they're really good coaches. We've got new facilities being built at Hartpury; it's all on the up and up. I never even contemplated being anywhere else."

Sharples is just one of a number of youngsters breaking through into the Gloucester XV, others including fly-half Freddie Burns and centre Henry Trinder, and head coach Bryan Redpath sees the winger's re-signing as a "statement of intent" at Kingsholm. "Charlie's development has been one of the high points of my time at Gloucester. He's got great talent but he also applies himself and has a real desire to make himself a better player," Redpath said.

"He's worked incredibly hard and I genuinely think there's more to come from him. I'm delighted he's agreed his new contract; he's earned it through his own endeavours and thoroughly deserves it. It's also a statement of intent as to the direction we're heading in as a club. We want to keep our best talent here to form the core of the squad for years to come."