England spinner James Tredwell revealed it “crossed his mind” to quit Kent before agreeing a new long-term deal with the club this week.

The Ashford-born bowler came through the ranks at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, before making his First Class debut in 2001 and has gone on to play 39 ODIs for England with a further 17 T20 appearances and one Test cap, as well as skippering his county in 2013.

Before flying to Sri Lanka on Sunday for England’s seven-match ODI tour, the 32-year-old agreed a contract extension at Kent to end speculation about his future, which arose after the club loaned him to Sussex for Championship cricket in June.

Tredwell said: “I went there to get games, which I felt I needed. I did reasonably well and enjoyed it.

“I’m not going to lie, the thought of leaving crossed my mind. I enjoyed the challenge of Division 1 cricket. I have faced a big quandary over the last part of the season and some people will say I should have gone.

“I have grown up here. I would like to see myself as loyal and my family are settled here. My time at Sussex made me realise that I want to be playing in all forms and I want it to be at Kent.”

He added: “I’m pleased to have sorted my future. Kent are on an upward path and I want to contribute to success going forward.

“I’m under contract for a few more seasons and I’d like to think there will be another contract after this but that depends how I go. I’d like to finish my career at Kent but you never know what will happen.”

Despite the cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand looming through February and March, Tredwell refused to look too far ahead.

He said: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have it in the back of my mind. A World Cup is a huge thing to be involved in but the only way anyone is going to get there is by putting the performances in between now and then.”

The sparkling form of England Lions prospect Adam Riley saw him replace Tredwell in the red-ball pecking order in 2014 but Tredwell insists the pair can work successfully in tandem.

He added: “If it rains all of February and March then we might struggle to play two spinners but you never know, that’s a decision to be made at the time.

“There’s no reason why we can’t both play.”