Corry led England last season

The 31-year-old, who led England in the absence of Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson, will have All Black Daryl Gibson as his deputy.

"It's a huge honour and I had absolutely no hesitation in accepting," said Corry.

"It's an exciting time and everybody here has a desire for success. The set-up is geared towards success."

Corry, who has captained Leicester just twice before, recently committed his long-term future with a new deal at the club.

But he admitted he had a tough task to fill Johnson's shoes.

Some people think it was an easy decision, but it was a tough choice to make Tigers boss Pat Howard on Corry's appointment

"The important thing is that I don't try to copy Martin," said Corry.

"Sure, we both lead by example, but I don't have all his attributes, starting with his technical knowledge and captaincy experience.

"All I can do is to be true to myself - as a captain you want your players to trust you and they won't trust you if you try and change who you are."

Corry, who started 17 first-team games for the Tigers last season, is expected to spend time away from Welford Road with England for the November Tests and next year's Six Nations.

Leicester head coach Pat Howard admitted "Martin's England commitments" had been considered in his decision to appoint him captain.

"Some people think it was an easy decision, but it was a tough choice to make," said Howard. "But Martin's a great character, he loves the club and the players and it's a great challenge for him to replace an icon in world rugby.