Monye's journey to the top

Twelve months ago Ugo Monye was flat on his back on a friend's living room floor and being fed like a baby after suffering temporary paralysis.

Twelve months ago Ugo Monye was flat on his back on a friend's living room floor and being fed like a baby after suffering temporary paralysis.

So bad was the pain from a bulging disc which he suffered while jogging that he could barely stand to watch England's rugby side competing in the World Cup on television.

But on Saturday the Harlequins wing will run out at Twickenham against the Pacific Islanders for his first England cap at the age of 25.

For Monye it is a triumph for his courage and the effectiveness of the pilates treatment he underwent in recuperation.

“That was the low point of my career. Last year I couldn't physically walk. I couldn't go to the toilet. That was pretty dire. I felt pretty much like a baby again,” he recalled.

“The disc was putting a lot of pressure on my sciatic nerve and was sending horrible messages through my hamstring. So I couldn't run, I couldn't sit up and I couldn't walk. The paralysis lasted five days.”

Many rugby players might have been tempted to put dreams of international recognition on hold but Monye, born in Islington of Nigerian parents, comes from a background with an Olympian determination.

As a teenager he ran in the national trials against British sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis, who won a gold medal for Britain in the 4x100m Olympics in Athens.

He also competed against Tyrone Edgar, who was fastest first round qualifier in the 100m in Beijing earlier this year in 10.13 seconds.

Monye was clocked at a personal best 10.6 seconds and while the Harlequins wing admits he is a shade off that pace these days he has no regrets about picking rugby rather than the potentially more glamorous career of a track star.

“I took my athletics seriously but my passion was rugby,” Monye explained.

“I was more of a pure athlete then but after putting on some weight and having taken some knocks I might not be able to run that now.

“But I don't think speed is the be-all and end-all in rugby.

“As much as I enjoyed athletics I played rugby from 13 years old and I think I was designed to play rugby. I'm glad I didn't turn down the opportunity.”

So are Harlequins, with whom Monye stayed when they were relegated in 2005 and for whom he has scored five tries in seven Premiership and Heineken Cup games this season.

“I was pleased I stayed with the club. It really grounded me as a player,” said the devout Christan.

“It is easy for players to come out of school, to play a couple of years in the Premiership, live the dream, play international rugby and then retire and live a very happy life. The reality is very different.

“It's easy to go to Welford Road and Kingsholm and play at your best when you've got a tempestuous crowd booing you but to go to Sedgley Park and Otley on a rainy day with one man and his dog is tough.

“I think that has moulded me into a better player, helped me to mature.”

That maturity is what appealed to new England Team Manager Martin Johnson when he chose Monye ahead of such as Josh Lewsey.

“He has obviously got fantastic pace and athletic ability. I like his maturity as a player. This week he has shown he handles it very well,” Johnson said.

“This is not something that has come quick and easy for him. I think he thought that may happen early in his career.

“He has been through quite a bit with Harlequins, getting relegated. He has had to work hard but his Premiership form has been really strong and he deserves his opportunity.”