Leicestershire have offered former England seamer Matthew Hoggard a three-year contract.

The 32-year-old is seeking a new county after he was released by Yorkshire last week and Leicestershire have moved quickly with their senior coach Tim Boon and chief executive David Smith meeting Hoggard yesterday.

Leicestershire struggled in the lower reaches of Division Two in the County Championship this season, however Smith believes they have provided an attractive option for Hoggard with other counties including newly-promoted Kent apparently also keen on the right-armer.

"We are in the ball park financially," Smith told the Leicester Mercury.

"Matthew likes what we are doing here and he knows Tim well.

"I came away from the meeting feeling that we are in with a shout.

"He hasn't played much one-day cricket recently but he will play that with us.

"I think he needs a new challenge. I think we would say we were hopeful."

Hoggard spent 15 seasons with his home county Yorkshire before he was told last week his contract would not be renewed.

He was Yorkshire's top wicket-taker in the LV County Championship this year with 46 and his hat-trick in the penultimate game against Sussex contributed significantly to the club's survival in Division One.

During his time with Yorkshire he took 248 wickets in 67 Tests for England and played a key role in the 2005 Ashes victory.