Courtney Lawes, the England and British and Irish Lions forward, has signed a new contract with Northampton Saints.

Lawes made his debut in 2007, the first of 263 appearances, and is widely considered as one of the club’s all-time greats.

The 34-year-old earned his first England cap in 2009 and has been a consistent performer ever since, appearing in three World Cups and winning three Six Nations titles.

Phil Dowson, the club’s director of rugby, described Lawes as “an incredible player” on the club’s website.

“Whether he’s playing second row or flanker, he’s one of the best in the world.”

“He’s really grown into that leadership role and has become a bit of a mentor for a lot of our squad’s players, so he’s a class act and a good man.”

“I’m sure a lot of clubs in France and Japan would have liked to see Courtney play for them in the coming years.” I’m sure our fans will be delighted that he has decided to stay in Northampton and remain a one-club man, as he is one of the best to have ever donned black, green, and gold.”

Lawes, who has captained England and toured with the Lions twice, has had a season marred by injuries, with only six club appearances.

“The club means a lot to me personally, and I wanted to stay here – especially at the end of a season where I haven’t played much and haven’t contributed as much as I would have liked,” Lawes added.

“It wouldn’t have felt right for me to leave, so I was really keen to stay at Saints for that reason, but also because it’s so important for us as a squad to continue to build on what we’ve done over the last few seasons.”