STEVE Rhodes says Worcestershire will be in a stronger position to attract new players if they sustain top-flight cricket in the Specsavers County Championship.

The County’s director of cricket is delighted that 11 players have signed new contracts and former Worcestershire paceman and proven Division One performer Steve Magoffin has joined from Sussex.

But Rhodes knows that maintaining a Division One spot may help Worcestershire to achieve the “icing on the cake” in terms of additional signings to supplement the talented squad of home-grown players already assembled at New Road as part of a three-stage plan.

They are back among the elite for 2018 after securing a fifth promotion in 11 years as Division Two champions.

Rhodes said: “It is great so many players have signed up. It is what we want to do here.

“Stage one was to develop our own players, stage two was keep hold of them and stage three was maybe get some signings which are maybe the icing on the cake.

“That has proved to be quite difficult to do.

“But if we can sustain a period of time in Division One then people will realise that maybe this is a place to come rather than sit on the sidelines at some other places.”

Rhodes added: “Make no mistake, we will try as finish as high as we can in that division and that will be the goal.

“But continuity, Division One status, is really important.”