Having Richard Wigglesworth as a "mate" at Leicester has made his move from player to interim head coach "incredibly smooth", says Tigers back Harry Potter.

Wigglesworth was already a player-coach at Tigers, and started in their Premiership title win last season.

"The boys really respect him," Potter told BBC Radio Leicester.

"It was a tough start, I suppose, losing the two coaches, but incredibly quickly the whole team has adapted to working with Wiggy.

"It's because Wiggy is a player and we all know him as a mate.

"Also he is a bit of a character who likes to work hard, so I think that is a characteristic that players generally want to get behind."

Wigglesworth's reign as Tigers boss started with a 28-13 win against Gloucester on 24 December, and came just five days after his retirement and week after his final game of a 20-year playing career.

His second match in charge, however, ended with a heavy 40-5 defeat by Sale Sharks last week.

Leicester and England lock Ollie Chessum admits the defeat was a "bump in the road" for the team after the mid-season change at the helm, but said the transition has been "seamless".

"Wiggy has been unbelievable," Chessum said. "I don't think he has has got enough credit for the change he has had to make.

"For a player like him, and the career he has had, to just to hang up the boots and take on such a big responsibility at such a big club has been seamless.

"The boys have flown right into it. He has vowed to give us everything and we will do the same for him."

Tigers, who are sixth in the table after 11 games, face second-from-bottom Newcastle at Kingston Park on Saturday.