Steve Diamond reveals why Chris Ashton left Sale Sharks

Former Sale Sharks' winger Chris Ashton left the Manchester-based club after  “a disagreement on how we want to play the game”, Steve Diamond has said. Sale made the shock announcement on Monday that Ashton was departing with immediate effect with them having reached a mutual agreement with the 32-year-old wing regarding the termination of his contract.

Diamond said on Tuesday: “There is no situation, just a disagreement on how we want to play the game. He wants to do it one way, I want to do it another and that’s it, so end of story.”

Asked how it would affect morale and the team, Diamond said: “It won’t, I don’t think. 

“We’ve got Marland Yarde, Byron McGuigan, Denny Solomona, Arron Reed, Tom Roebuck… Plenty of players.”

He added: “We’ve got a squad good enough to cope with one or two people coming and going.”

Ashton joined Sale Sharks from Toulon and scored four tries in seven Premiership appearances this season. The former Northampton and Saracens player won the last of his 44 England caps against France a year ago but has only been picked five times by boss Eddie Jones.

The speedster has since been linked with a move to London-based club, The Harlequins.