Lions tourist James Hook says he is happy at the Ospreys despite being asked to play out of position.
The Welsh international fly-half is currently being chosen at inside centre for the Liberty Stadium outfit, with young pretender Dan Biggar wearing the No10 shirt.
Much has been made of Hook’s desire to be playing regular rugby at outside-half but the 24-year-old insists he has no immediate intention of leaving the Ospreys in order to fulfill that ambition.
"I can’t stress enough that I’m happy here. I’ve grown up here, and been a part of this region since I was a youngster, and it’s a great place to be,” Hook told the Ospreys website.
"At the moment, I think it’s going well for the Ospreys and it’s going well for me.
"At the end of the day, I can say where I’d prefer to play, but I’m not in a position where I can tell the coaches where to pick me. If they want to pick me at 12, then I’m happy to do that job and I’ll do it to the best of my ability.
"I’ve been picked at 12 for the last couple of games and I think it’s going well – I’m enjoying playing there."
Having produced a number of impressive performances on the recent 10-match Lions tour after being called up on the eve of departure for South Africa, Hook returned home with high hopes for the new season.
Things have not gone exactly to plan since his arrival back at the Ospreys, with the former Neath star being heavily linked with a move to France after Biggar became his region’s first-choice fly-half under new head coach Scott Johnson.
But Hook, who was the Lions’ matchwinner in the games against the Cheetahs and Western Province, remains fully focused on his role at the Ospreys rather than on any potential move overseas.
"It’s nice to know that clubs are interested – it means that I must be doing something right – but I’m an Osprey and I’m happy where I am,” added Hook.
"It’s all just speculation and I’m not going to go to the directors and say I want to go anywhere.
"I’m under contract here for another two years, so even if I were interested there’d be nothing I could do about it! When the right time comes to sit down and talk with them about a new contract I will. I’ll just deal with that when it comes.
"People who know me, know that I’m under contract and I’m happy being where I want to be. If anyone else asks me am I going to France, I just tell them exactly the same thing – I’m going nowhere.”
