‘God I’m ready for it!’ – Joe Marler signs off in typical Joe Marler style with mic drop interview
Joe Marler walking off the pitch against Bristol Bears.
In typical Joe Marler fashion, the Harlequins star ended his illustrious rugby career with a stunning mic-drop interview on TNT Sports as he detailed the factors behind his decision and what life might look like now he has hung up his boots.
The 95-capped England international brought his esteemed playing career to an end last night in Harlequins’ heavy 48-24 defeat to Bristol Bears, in one of the best games in recent Premiership history.
Joe Marler delivers superb mic-drop moment to bow out of rugby
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Marler delivered yet another sensational interview to add to a long line of antics in the public eye.
When asked about the decision to retire, he highlighted just how ready he was with an anecdote on how he was keen to come off after just 10 minutes of the game against Bristol.
Joe Marler will play his ‘last ever match’ as he steps away from the ‘beautifully brutal game’
“I’m blown away by the fans here, I’ve got so many fond memories and it’s down to them and the teammates I’ve played with; but God I’m ready for it! I was out there thinking ‘I can’t do this, get me off!’ For the first 10 minutes, I was looking around going ‘I can’t do this, this is dark!”
🎤 The most Joe Marler interview ever, including mic drop! 🤣
The legendary @Harlequins and @EnglandRugby prop says farewell!#HARvBRI | #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/x96WJVJWfu
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 29, 2024
He also opened up on gratitude to the game, despite his antics, and went into more detail around how he “couldn’t do it any more”.
“The game has been so good to me considering I’ve been so bad to it, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I guess it’s over now, that’s it,” he said.
“I couldn’t do it any more physically, mentally and emotionally. After the England announcement, this was inevitable, but I would rather go now rather than flogging a dead horse for the next six months.”
Another standout moment was when he hilariously revealed he actually retired during the Premiership Rugby Cup block but came back for one final hurrah due to Fin Baxter needing a rest after his England duties.
LIVE: Saturday’s URC and Premiership action
“I actually quit last week, but they asked me to do one more game as Fin Baxter needs a rest. I said ‘I’ll come back and say goodbye to the fans’.”
He also used his interview to speak about mental health, which he has been a huge advocate of in recent years following his own battles.
Whilst his playing days for England and Harlequins are behind him, he also touched on a potential final bow in Barbarians colours, with the historic club set to run out at Twickenham again next summer.
“There might be a game later on in the season that I might come back for,” he said.
And, to just cap things off, he left the interview with a mic drop to bring down the curtain on a dramatic, but spectacular career. It will likely not be the final time we see him on our screens, however, with the prop having already made his punditry debut to great plaudits during the Autumn Nations Series.
