WORCESTER Warriors powerhouse Mike Williams has one aim this season — to get Dean Ryan’s men back into the Premiership.

The 23-year-old forward is a key player in Warriors’ promotion push from the Greene King IPA Championship.

But the English-qualified Bulawayo-born player has been linked with a move away from Sixways to higher-graded Leicester Tigers.

Williams said: “It’s a nice thing to get noticed by other clubs.

“Worcester have been amazing to me and Dean Ryan has backed me since I arrived at the club and my first game against Leicester at Welford Road.

“I think the speculation about Leicester Tigers is a private issue.

“I am here at Worcester to do a job till come June and I want to get this squad back into the Premiership.

“I don’t read into any of the stuff on Twitter and in the newspapers - I just try to block it out and focus on the next game.”

Williams has had an action-packed campaign and scored one try in his 10 appearances.

“It was a big challenge for us this year after coming down to the Championship and it has been a good few months,” said Williams.

“My try on the opening day of the season at Bristol was nice because it was the first time I had crossed the whitewash for Worcester.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to see out the game in the last couple of minutes but we have changed a lot since then and it will be a lot more interesting come May.”

Williams was stretchered off after being knocked unconscious following a clash of heads against Nottingham.

“I need to learn not to hit with my face and I am lucky it came at a stage when the Championship squad was being rested so I only missed the Rotherham game,” said Williams.

“I tweaked a ligament in my knee after collapsing and that kept me out for two or three weeks and luckily it wasn’t too serious apart from a few dental issues.”

Williams’ style of play is admired by Ryan, Warriors’ director of rugby, and is widely regarded as one of the best ball-carriers in the Championship.

He has been switching between second row and flanker and believes some of his best rugby has come with the no-6 shirt on his back.

“I have always said I would always like to see me as being able to play second row and back row,” said Williams.

“Towards the end of last season I felt that I played my best rugby at six and also at the beginning of this Championship season.

“I would probably say I prefer playing at six but I will play where I am told to.

“The team looks at me to carry the ball but whether I play six or four I am carrying just as much so it doesn’t really make too much of a difference.”

He added: “I think that’s ball-carrying is probably one of the strongest points of my game. Rugby is a contact sport and you are always going to get collisions when you come off second best now and again.”

Williams’ performances are certainly getting noticed and he dreams of playing international rugby with England.

“Every aspiring rugby player’s dream is to be an international player and that was one of my main reasons for coming to the UK,” said Williams.

"I played rugby in South Africa for five years and I wasn’t able to get South African citizenship. I am English qualified through my late granddad and my main dream is to play for England one day.”