Ex-England winger Chris Ashton says he saw Leicester Tigers as "his last shot" to continue his rugby career when he thought it was "all over".

Ashton, 35, has scored six tries in seven Premiership games to become the league's all-time leading try-scorer, and last week signed a new deal.

"I had to prove to myself I could still play and had stuff to offer," he said.

"I needed to prove a lot to the players and fans to be accepted - nobody saw me playing here. I wanted to take everything I'd learned and bring it together for my final shot.

"Three months is a long time to reflect and think it's all over. But it's funny how things can change so quickly.

"I now know I want to give this chance everything because it could be my last chance."

'I had to take the situation with both hands'

Ashton, a Premiership title and European Champions Cup winner with Saracens, said the move to Tigers was "the right decision" after a number of previous moves "hadn't worked out".

He left Saracens in 2017 for a stint in France with Toulon - where he broke the French Top 14 record for tries scored in a single season with 24 in 23 appearances - then returned to the English game with Sale a year later.

But he terminated his contract early to leave Sale in March 2020 and short stints with Harlequins and Worcester followed after that.

"Being on a short-term contract, I had to take the situation with both hands and try and be the player I wanted to be in the style I wanted to play in," he told BBC Radio Leicester.

"I'm back enjoying my rugby, and when you've been in a position when what you love might be taken away, you are even more grateful for when the opportunity comes back round."