‘Can’t imagine not being involved’ – Owen Farrell reveals future plans and addresses potential B&I Lions call-up
Owen Farrell reveals his future following his return to Saracens from Racing 92.
Owen Farrell has opened up on his plans beyond playing rugby as the England great enters the twilight of his illustrious career.
Farrell has confirmed his return to his boyhood club, Saracens, after a failed stint in France with Racing 92, with injuries plaguing his time in Paris.
The experienced playmaker opted to take a step away from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup because of the emotional and mental toll playing for England took on him, before opting for a move to Paris for similar reasons.
Playing for England again?
Now that he has returned to London, Farrell is once again eligible to be selected by England and insists that his break in 2024 from Test rugby was not a retirement call.
“My only real thought so far is getting back to being happy and enjoying what I am doing and love my rugby again,” he told the Telegraph in a wide-ranging interview.
Asked if he would like to pull on the Red Rose jersey again, he replied: “Who knows what I will feel like in six months or a year’s time. The key behind all of it is that I am determined to be happy.
“I have changed. Not in a way that is unrecognisable from before. But I have changed. I have looked at myself a lot and am still doing now. This is what makes me so determined to get it right.”
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Plans off the field
At 33 years old, Farrell recognises that he is in the final knockings of his playing career but one thing he is clear, he won’t be leaving rugby entirely when he does hang up his boots.
Reports suggested that he would be taking up a player-coach role upon his return to Saracens from Racing 92 and while that isn’t the case just yet, Farrell reveals that trading the boots for a coach’s whistle is in his plans.
“I think I want to be a coach,” he said. “I can’t imagine not being involved. I don’t know what that looks like or when that is what, but I’m interested in starting to get some exposure to it.
“I don’t know what that looks like. Like a lot of players towards the end of the careers, it’s all right having knowledge and experience, but being able to stand in front of people and being able to understand how things work and run properly is not the same.”
When Owen’s father, Andy Farrell, named his British and Irish Lions squad for the tour to Australia, he confirmed that there were still two spots available in the team that would be filled before the squad departs.
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British and Irish Lions call-up
The England great has been earmarked to be one of those two players with the head coach singling out his son.
“He was in the conversation, obviously,” Lions boss Farrell said.
“He is an experienced player like that going for his fourth tour, he’d cover all bases, that’s for sure with the leadership qualities and all that.
“But we got to a point where [we had to make a call], like with a few other players as well, Owen is still finding his way back to full fitness.
“There are 38 picked, which leaves a couple of spots open for us during the track if and where needed, Owen like a few would be in that bracket.”
For the player, he says that he needs to make sure that he is ready to go if the phone does ring.
“I can’t say,” Owen replied when asked if he would be ready to go.
“It is all very hypothetical, isn’t it? A lot would need to happen, and I need to make sure I am ready to go if that does come around. That is the only point that matters.”
If he were to get the call, it would be the fourth tour that Farrell would feature after being the youngest player included in Warren Gatland’s 2013 squad before being selected on the tours to New Zealand and South Africa in 2017 and 2021, respectively.
