But as time went on my friends were more into rugby and that led me down that path. James Stokes is one of my best friends from school and he went on to play for London Irish, and Max Trimble, who played a lot of games in the Championship for Coventry, was also there.
It was while I was playing age-group rugby for Nottinghamshire and the Midlands that I first got noticed and Leicester wrote me a letter inviting me down for a trial with about 40 other lads. I managed to get picked off the back of that, and I was over the moon because, by then, I had my heart set on becoming a professional rugby player.
Leicester were the biggest and most successful team in England and it was quite daunting knowing the calibre of players in front of me in the back-three pecking order. At one point I worked it out that I was the club's 14th-choice winger. I went from boy to man very quickly, and I am grateful for that because it's just what I needed. But a few other academy lads got chewed up and spat out of that old-school environment.
During my time at Leicester I was sent to Nottingham on loan and had a really enjoyable time playing under Glenn Delaney. I'll always be grateful to him because he played me a lot as a 19-year-old in a really competitive league and that helped me develop as a player. My dad is a Notts County fan so it was also really nice to run out at Meadow Lane, albeit as a rugby player not a footballer.
I played eight LV Cup games for Tigers but once I got to 21 I sensed I would have to move elsewhere to realise my goal of playing in the Prem. I didn't feel like I had the confidence of Matt O'Connor at all, and the old Tigers CEO, Simon Cohen, confirmed as much when I bumped into him by chance a few months ago and asked him the question. I actually got on all right with Cockers (Richard Cockerill), I think he saw the fight in me, but at the end of the day he wasn't picking the backs.
Denne historien er fra July 28, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra July 28, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.
