England fly-half Burns to leave Gloucester

England fly-half Freddie Burns will leave Gloucester at the end of the current season, the English Premiership club announced on Tuesday. The announcement follows months of speculation about the 23-year-old's future and comes amid reports that he is due to join Gloucester's Premiership rivals Leicester. "After weeks of speculation, Gloucester Rugby can confirm today that fly-half Freddie Burns will leave the club at the end of the season," Gloucester said in a statement. "Discussions between Burns and the club over a new contract have been ongoing for some time now. However, agreement has not been reached and, by mutual consent, both parties have started to pursue alternative options." Burns played his first game for Gloucester in 2009 and made his England debut three years later. He thanked Gloucester for the support they have shown him and vowed to give his all for the club until the end of the season. "I've had a lot of things to consider regarding my future in recent months, and it's not been easy," he said. "But I am still a Gloucester player and will be giving it 100 percent, as I always have done, whenever I pull on the shirt. Gloucester have been incredibly supportive. They have been ever since I first joined the club. "I have so many people to be grateful to. Whatever happens in the future, it all started here for me and I will always be thankful for that." Source: AFP