Essex wicketkeeper George Bell feared his professional career may have come to an abrupt end before the county re-signed him on a permanent basis.

Bell, who turned 24 last month, initially joined Essex on loan from Lancashire for the final part of the 2026 season and scored 244 runs in the last three County Championship matches, including a half-century in each game.

Bell was a shining light during Essex's end of season slump as they had their Division One status confirmed on the final weekend of the campaign, benefitting from Leicestershire's points deduction, which is still currently being reviewed.

The right-hander's 66 in his side's second innings helped seal a draw against Glamorgan in a rain-affected four-day game after they were asked to follow-on.

He has now signed a new two-year deal which confirms his immediate future within the game and admitted to BBC Sport he had been looking at a career away from the sport throughout last season.

"I've loved playing for Lancashire – I've been playing there since I was 11 years old, and if all goes well, everyone wants to play for their one boyhood club," Bell told BBC Essex.

"Unfortunately, it just hasn't happened that way. To get the best out of myself, it's definitely the right move.

"Lancs are in a little bit of a tricky situation at the minute, and there's a lot of chopping and changing going on, so it sort of felt like the right time for me to go.

"I was told in May, I was going to get released from Lancs. From then on, I was getting my head on like 'what am I going to do outside of cricket?'

"Even going into that last game of the season on loan, I was thinking 'well this could be it, this could be my last game of professional cricket, so I may as well enjoy it'.

"I felt I could do that at Essex, just enjoy myself."

Bell even went to the extent of enrolling at university at the end of last year and - despite committing his immediate future to the game - will continue his studies while playing professionally.

"Accounting and finance, so it's probably not as fun as playing cricket," Bell told BBC Essex when asked which subjects he had chosen.

"It's going alright so far. I've played [professional] cricket for five years and sort of put uni on hold.

"It was always something I was going to go back to. It's what my dad does so I've gone down that path and I do find an interest in it.

"It's [about] keeping myself doing something in the winter. It's nice to get away from the game to be honest and have a back-up plan to take the pressure off when you are playing."

Bell's permanent deal at Essex was confirmed on the same day it was revealed that Lancashire will not be offering legendary bowler Sir James Anderson a new contract at Emirates Old Trafford.

Anderson leaves the Red Rose following an extraordinary 25-year spell as a first XI player and Bell took time to pay homage to his former team-mate.

"He's just a brilliant professional, and he's one of those players that I will look back at the end of the career and go, 'wow, it was pretty incredible that I got the chance to play with somebody of that calibre'," Bell said.

"He only ever helped the younger players. He was always looking to help people with their bowling and with anything to be honest, on the field, off the field.

"He's a true, genuine class professional. I'll cherish those memories of playing with him over the past few years and look back fondly."

With several counties expressing an interest in signing veteran Anderson for next season, Bell is convinced the 44-year-old will want to go out on his own terms, and admits he will put in a good word for his new employers.

He added: "When you've got a player the quality of Jim, who has been able to perform so well for so long, I am in the camp that you should be able to decide when it's your time [to leave].

"I still see him now and again to play golf so maybe on a round of golf, I'll just drop it in there.

"He's still good enough at this level by an absolute mile. He's an unbelievable bowler, he's so hard to face.

"Any club he goes to will be really lucky to have him. I might have to put a word in for the Eagles."