JAMIE Bhatti has settled in so happily during his second spell at Scotstoun that he says he needed little or no persuasion to sign an extension to his Warriors contract.
Now 28, the Scotland loosehead first represented Glasgow between 2016 and 2019, before departing initially for Edinburgh and then going on to Bath. That first spell with his current club ended with his picking up a loser’s medal in the 2019 PRO14 final, and so, having returned for a second spell, it is only natural that he wants to go one step further.
“I want to be the best player for this club that I can be, and I want to win silverware with this team,” the man from Stirling said after the announcement of his new deal, which is for an unspecified period. “We fell just short in 2019 before I left, so for me getting a winner’s medal with Glasgow is top of my list.”
Bhatti is pleased with the progress the team has been making since he returned last year, and he is also happy with life in the city. “As soon as I got the offer, that was it,” he explained. “I knew it was the right deal for me. I’ve loved being back at Scotstoun, and I’ve got a great relationship with the coaches. They back me to go out there and play well, and I’m really enjoying my rugby.
“Glasgow feels like home for me. I love where I live out in the East End, I love where I play my rugby, it’s just the perfect fit for me.
“We’re in a good place in the league right now and we want to kick on and secure our place in the knockout stages. We’ve had a bit of adversity this season, but every time we’ve slipped up we’ve bounced back and our position in the league is testament to that.”
Glasgow coach Danny Wilson has now done a lot of his squad planning for next season, and suggested that Bhatti would be an important member of that squad for the next couple of years or more. “Jamie is hugely passionate about playing for Glasgow Warriors and we’re pleased to secure his services for the seasons to come,” he said. “Since returning to the club he has picked back up where he left off, displaying his strength at scrum-time and his physicality around the park.”
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