Leicester Tigers Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill has confirmed that fly half George Ford will leave the club to join Aviva Premiership rivals Bath.

Nineteen-year-old Ford is one of Leicester's brightest up and coming talents for the future but after four years with the Tigers he will leave when his contract ends this summer.

Ford has also been tipped as a future England flyhalf.

Cockerill said that he was "disappointed" and said that Leicester had done everything they could to keep him at Welford Road.

If Ford does move to Bath he will join his father and former England coach Mike Ford at The Rec.

Bath Director of Rugby Gary Gold said recently that there was "no deal in place" for Ford but Cockerill said, "I have been told by him and his advisors that he is going to go and sign for Bath.

"From a Leicester end, it's disappointing because you want your best young players to stay," Cockerill told the Leicester Mercury.

"If players choose to move on because they don't want to stay and fight for their spot, that's cool."

"But George has had plenty of game time and Toby Flood is a very good player. We pick on merit at Leicester