ENGLAND head coach Brian McDermott believes Warrington Wolves flyer Matty Ashton has a distinctive running style that has helped his career development.
Ashton played against both France and Papua New Guinea in England’s group games during the World Cup after Wigan Warriors’ Zach Eckersley started on the wing against Tonga.
The Warrington star has enjoyed a meteoric rise during his career so far, having turned out for amateur side Rochdale Mayfield and then Swinton Lions in 2019.
That year, Ashton scored 30 tries in 25 appearances, earning a move to Warrington ahead of the 2020 Super League season.
From there, the 28-year-old has gone on to score 111 tries in 137 appearances for the Wolves as well as scoring six tries in five appearances for England in recent years.
And, having been a fan of Ashton’s running style, McDermott has revealed that there was one coach who believed in the winger from a young age.
“Matty came through Hopwood College and when I was with Toronto Wolfpack, that’s where we used to train,” McDermott said.
“I was talking to his old coach at Hopwood College, a fella called Matt Calland, and he said even then – I think Warrington had just signed him – that he’ll be an international.
“Not many other people thought that because he probably just had a straight-line run in him.
“But that was his point of difference, that he just ran so fast and so hard.
“I don’t know how much his game’s going to develop over the coming years, but I think if he just keeps the trait up – runs as fast as he can, as hard as he can, as often as he can – I think that’ll keep him in good stead.”
