Cam Winnett has paid tribute to retiring Wales great Leigh Halfpenny, describing him as a “legend” whose influence has helped take his game to the next level this season.

Halfpenny recently announced his retirement from professional rugby at the end of the sesaon, as he has continued to support the squad in both a playing and coaching role throughout this season. Winnett was quick to admit the former Wales and British & Irish Lions star had been one of his idols growing up.

“Probably my first memory of rugby was the 2013 Lions Tour, where Pence (Halfpenny) was player of the series,” explained Winnett.

“I always looked up to Pence and now I’m lucky enough to play and train with him every day. Other than how good he is at kicking, his attitude, how humble he is and his work-rate both on and off the pitch are what made him the player he is.”

Winnett, who has also felt the pressure of wearing the iconic number 15 jersey for Cardiff and Wales, was quick to highlight the impact Halfpenny has had on his own development throughout this season.

“He’s an awesome player and an even better person,” added Winnett.

“His positioning, timing and scanning are things he’s helped me with a lot since coming to Cardiff. He’s pushed me to the next step with our defensive stuff.

“He’s a good bloke – an awesome bloke. A legend. I talk to him every day and if I need anything, he’s always there to help.”

After bursting onto the scene at a young age and playing some of the highest minutes in the URC last season, the current campaign has brought fresh challenges for Winnett, with injuries testing him throughout.

“It’s been an up-and-down season. I had an injury towards the start of the autumn, which was frustrating, and then around Christmas I probably struggled with my form a bit.

“But I feel like I’m getting back to where I was before the autumn. I’m just going back to basics and enjoying my rugby again at Cardiff.”

With nine international caps to his name, the young full-back remains firmly in the picture for Wales selection and is focused on continuing to improve whenever opportunities arise with the national set-up, having already spoken with Wales head coach Steve Tandy.

“We’ve had alignment camps and I’ve spoken to them there. I just try to keep my head down as much as I can. When I do speak to them, they’re there to help.”

With the Blue & Blacks continuing to push for a strong finish to the season, the race for a top-eight URC finish remains a major target. Ahead of this weekend’s clash with Glasgow Warriors in Scotland, Winnett says the squad are determined to attack the final two matches positively.

“When we spoke about it in the team meeting, it was about not just worrying about getting into the play-offs, but asking why can’t we push even higher up the table?” he said.

“That’s how we’re approaching these next two games. Glasgow are a team who like to play attacking rugby and we play a similar way as well, so we’ll go there and try to put some points on them.”