Tom Watkins will put his faith in the continued development of young defender Danny Rose at Telford Tigers next season.

The 21-year-old will return to Shropshire for a fifth successive campaign, following his arrival from Nottingham in 2012.

Watkins said: “Danny is maturing well and is developing in the right ways. These days he is physically stronger, more experienced and much more comfortable on the puck.

“When he first came here, he maybe didn’t have as much poise as he has now. He always had ability, always talented, and he’s used that to benefit from working every day on the ice.

“Especially last season, when he was living full time in Telford, it made a huge difference. To win a title one season, then be a leading plus-minus player the next, that is a huge step for Danny.

“He is another player we were very keen to re-sign and work with for the future. The big thing is putting into practice what you learn at training, as there is limited development time during games.

“Being on the ice every day always makes a big difference for any player.

“Danny adds good depth to our d-core. He is reliable, skates very well and has got an excellent shot.

“If a mistake is made, Danny always makes up for it with his skating ability. It is a really important feature for a defenseman to have good mobility and good agility.

“He is a gritty character when he wants to be, but he has to do that every night and play with an edge every night. He can also play as a forward which ticks another box.”

(Image permission: Steve Brodie)