Ex-England full-back Mike Brown says his try on debut for Leicester Tigers at the age of 37 was proof that players should not be judged by their age.

He left Harlequins for Newcastle in 2021, but was released in May when they opted against a contract extension.

"It sends a message not to write players off as one of my former clubs wrote me off because of age," he said.

Without a club to play for or train with, Brown said he has "remained ready" by training in local parks and working hard in the gym.

He was handed a short-term deal by former England team-mate Richard Wigglesworth, who drafted in the 72-cap international to help cover the drain of star talent during the Six Nations.

As someone who was playing at the age of 39, and only retired to take up the interim head coaching job at Tigers in December, Wigglesworth knows what it is to play as a veteran.

Brown was not even the oldest player in Leicester's starting line-up, with 39-year-old Jimmy Gopperth at centre.

"I've worked incredibly hard throughout my career to stay in good shape," Brown told BBC Radio Leicester.

"That is what the modern athlete is about now. You see across all sports, athletes of a certain age that are still at the top of their game.

"That is why I messaged Wiggy [Wigglesworth] because I was staying ready and I felt good.

"It's just great to be back in an environment like this.

"It makes it easy when you are in an environment with players who work so hard with these coaches. It's inspiring for someone like me to come in who wants to work hard and contribute."