Why ‘extremely ambitious’ reason convinced England and Lions star to commit his future to Prem club
2025 British and Irish Lions pick Alex Mitchell has decided his future with club boss Phil Dowson, inset
Northampton Saints have announced a multi-year deal with Alex Mitchell nine days after Fin Smith, his club and England teammate, decided his long-term future was also best served by remaining at Franklin’s Gardens.
It was October 4 when fly-half Smith opted to remain with the 2023/24 Premiership-winning Saints, and a deal has now been inked to keep his half-back partner – and fellow 2025 British and Irish Lions tourist – at the club.
If Mitchell had any doubts about sticking with Northampton, the 28-year-old admitted that he was given a vibrant reminder at the weekend that staying with Phil Dowson’s team was the best thing for him.
Saints defeated arch rivals and neighbours Leicester 32-26 in the East Midlands derby to put themselves second on the table after an unbeaten three-game start to the new season in England.
“Never fails to put a smile on my face…”
That experience exhilarated Mitchell, who was making his first appearance of the 2025/26 club campaign following a summer where he was named by Andy Farrell in all 10 of the Lions’ match day tour teams.
“There is also no better place to play rugby than cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens,” enthused Mitchell after putting pen to paper at the club he debuted with in 2017. “Hearing the incredible support we have in the stands and running out at home never fails to put a smile on my face.
“Playing in front of a full house against Leicester last weekend reminded me why signing on again with Saints was the right decision – I can’t wait for what’s ahead.
“Northampton Saints has been my home for the last 10 seasons, and there is truly nowhere else I’d rather be playing my rugby. This group is very special. We are extremely ambitious, and the drive and focus within the squad to keep getting better is what makes being part of this club so exciting.
“From joining the academy as a teenager to now, the support I receive at Saints has been crucial to all my success on the pitch, so I owe a lot to the club’s coaching staff past and present.
“I have made some incredible memories over the last couple of years, from winning the PREM to the final whistle in Dublin (against Leinster), and then getting to pull on a red shirt with the Lions over the summer. All those experiences just make you hungry to achieve more – with Saints, England and beyond.
“We feel like we’ve got to right some wrongs after last year. We want to get back to the top of the pile in the PREM, keep pushing forward in Europe, and put some more silverware in our trophy cabinet.”
It was under Chris Boyd when Mitchell became a first-team regular and having since gone on to become an established England international under Steve Borthwick, his progress has continued at Northampton under current boss Dowson.
“Alex Mitchell is one of the best scrum-halves in the world, and to keep someone of his quality in our environment speaks volumes about the ambitions of this club,” reckoned the director of rugby.
“The way he plays the game, the speed that he gets the ball up, how he can identify space and then put teammates into it, his ability to open defences up by constantly challenging them, is well known.
“But we are also fortunate to see the diligence around his training, particularly his kicking game, his continued improvement in his ‘game understanding’, plus his competitive nature and coolness under pressure. To be involved in almost every game of a Lions tour is a testament to that.
“I have no doubt that Alex will get better; in an environment where he is coached to his best abilities, where he has a talented group of players around him, that is all going to help him keep driving his game forward. We are thrilled to have him with us for the foreseeable future.”
As happened with the Smith announcement, the length of Mitchell’s contract extension wasn’t revealed as the club only vaguely stated that he had “signed a new multi-year contract”.
