Murray Goodwin admits his cricketing future away from Sussex is uncertain.

But he has no such concerns when he drives through the Tate Gates.

Goodwin is about to start his sixth season with the county and would be delighted to enjoy a ten-year career with Sussex.

"I've got another two years on my current contract and I'd love to carry on if I keep performing and the club still wants me," he said.

"I feel as fit as I've ever been I'm not sure if I can carry on until I'm 40 or anything like that but I feel I've got another four or five years left in me."

Goodwin has been the rock of Sussex's batting throughout the decade.

That unbeaten 335 - the highest ever score by a Sussex batsman - remains the most cherished memory of that never-to-be-forgotten September day when the county won their first Championship in 2003.

At 33 he likes to think there are a few more performances like that left in him. If only his future on the other side of the world was more certain.

Just before he returned to England it was announced that Western Australia were releasing him after he played just three games in the Pura Cup four-day competition and didn't figure at all in their one-day side this winter. It was hardly an auspicious end to a decade of service for WA.

Instead, most of his cricket was played in the Perth first grade competition for Subiaco. Punishing sessions in the gym and long runs on the beaches means the 33-year-old reckons he is as fit as he's ever been.

He said: "Basically I'd had enough of their (WA's) bullshit. They kept moving me up and down the order and they wouldn't play me in the one-dayers because they said they wanted to give the youngsters a game."

As to the future, Goodwin is keeping his options open. New South Wales captain Simon Katich has asked him to move to Sydney but Goodwin is reluctant to head to the other side of Australia. There is also the option of playing state cricket in South Africa. He held preliminary discussions there last week before heading back to Hove.

All that will be put to one side now as Goodwin concentrates on maintaining his outstanding Sussex record.

In five seasons he has scored 6,633 first-class runs at an average of 51.02, higher than his career average of 46.07.

And having played so little topnotch cricket during the winter seems to have sharpened his appetite for more heavy run-scoring this summer.

"It's my sixth season but every year is a new challenge and every time I come over it seems to energise me," he said.

"I've done well for Sussex and they have treated me well so there's always that great excitement to come back and meet guys who I now regard as mates for life."

Goodwin will start the season in his favourite position at No4 in the order but is prepared to be flexible should the need arise.