NEW England hero Leroy Cudjoe is determined to remain on the international scene for years to come.
But the 22-year-old former Newsome Panthers junior will always make playing for hometown club Huddersfield Giants his top priority.
Cudjoe earned a shock call to the England squad for last autumn’s Four Nations tournament in Australia and New Zealand, where he was joined by Giants teammates Kevin Brown, Eorl Crabtree, Darrell Griffin, Shaun Lunt and Luke Robinson.
He made his debut at centre in the defeat to Australia in Melbourne and then earned his second full cap in the win over Papua New Guinea.
His rock-solid displays have added to his confidence and he is now looking forward to building on those matches for Huddersfield in Super League XVI – and holding on to his England spot in the process.
“Being part of the England set-up was an incredible experience and one I’ll never forget,” said Cudjoe.
“And once you’ve had a taste of it, you just want more and more.
“But that obviously won’t happen if you’re not playing well for your club side, and that will always be my main focus.
“When I was a kid, I always dreamed that one day I’d play for the Giants in Super League and give everything I’ve got to help us win trophies.
“That’s still what I want more than anything. Being picked to play for England on the back of it is a massive bonus.
“I’d love to keep playing for England, and if I’m doing that I know I must have to play well for the Giants.”
And Cudjoe has confirmed that he would love to build on his two England Test caps playing at centre.
“I do now regard myself as a centre,” he added.
“Last pre-season I was training a bit at centre, a bit on the wing and a bit at full-back.
“This time around most of my time has been spent concentrating on centre, which I’m more than happy about.
“If Browny wants me as a centre, that’ll do for me. He’s helped develop some of the best centres in the world during his time in Australia, like Mark Gasnier for instance, so I know how much he could help develop my game even further.
“I already feel pretty comfortable in the role, but I know how much I’ll benefit from spending more time there during this season.”
