Radwan undaunted by rare acclaim from England coach
Heddie Jones does not offer compliments easily, but winger is happy to handle the pressure of his ‘world’s best’ prediction
Eddie Jones is not prone to dishing out gushing compliments to young, unproven players. The England head coach would sooner pop any growing hype like a balloon than inflate any rising expectations and egos.
So when Jones this week stated that Adam Radwan – 23, with one cap – “could end up the best winger in the world”, it was notable for two reasons. First – and most obvious – is that Radwan is seriously talented. Blessed with an unholy combination of being able to step off either foot and what Jones calls “lightning pace” – recorded by England this summer at 10.85metres per second – the Newcastle Falcon is a defender’s worst nightmare.
Set your feet at the wrong angle and he will step you. Show him the outside and he will gas you. Even his own boyhood idol, Jonny May, was not spared when he left him flapping like a drunk running after the last bus home earlier this year.
Second – and more important – Jones is confident that such praise will not unduly affect Radwan for better or worse.
The impact of being released by Newcastle’s academy has taught Radwan to take nothing for granted.
Even the stern-faced Dean Richards agrees with Jones’s assessment, albeit with the caveat that progress towards that goal is not going to be serene. “He has the potential, but he has to go out there and realise it,” Richards said.
“He now understands he has the raw ingredients, so it is up to him.”
A level-headed, self-deprecating character, Radwan seems just as thrilled that Callum Chick, Jamie Blamire and Trevor Davison have been called up for England’s autumn internationals squad as he does by his own inclusion.
He concurs that he has already set the bar high for himself by scoring a hat-trick on his debut in the summer against Canada, but is happy to pick up the gauntlet laid down to him by Jones.
“For me, I like being under pressure,” Radwan says. “I enjoy being under pressure. It just means I have to get my head down. This summer was really good and I started the season quite well, so I am just trying to make sure I keep pushing on and building. It will be another step up and will be really difficult.
“I just need to work hard. I don’t mind getting my head down and working hard.”
Yet the greatest excitement for Radwan, who misses today’s match against Gloucester with what is being described as a “minor knee injury”, seems to be in flying the flag for the North East.
The forgotten outpost of English rugby suddenly has four local heroes to celebrate once more. “It’s going to be class,” Radwan says. “Especially being there with Jamie. We played under-18s at Newcastle together, and we’ve kind of done the whole journey together. All four of us are dead close, so it’s nice.
“It shows that, as a club, we’re moving in the right direction. We are all northern lads and extremely proud of where we come from and proud to play for Newcastle. We are really excited to be given this opportunity and will work as hard as we can to make the most of it.”
Radwan is not quite considered a true Geordie, having been born in Osmotherley, a small village in North Yorkshire. He possesses even more exotic roots courtesy of his Egyptian father, who emigrated to Britain when he was in his twenties. His nickname around the Newcastle training ground is Belal, his ancestral middle name.
“I still have a bit of family in Egypt,” Radwan says. “They had probably never heard of rugby until I started playing it.
“I still keep in touch with them and speak to them about it. I see myself as English, I am proud to have the roots that I have got, but I am very English.”
Radwan came to rugby relatively late and began watching matches at West Hartlepool. Between spells at local clubs Middlesbrough RUFC and Billingham RFC, Radwan was on Newcastle’s books before being let go.
“I knew I was good enough to be a professional rugby player, I just didn’t know if it would be for Newcastle or how long it would take to get back into their set-up,” Radwan says. “But I was pretty confident I was capable of still doing it.” Eventually word reached Richards that there was a kid scoring tries for fun at Billingham. That week he played in an A League match, scoring another try, which was enough to convince Richards to sign him back up. “Releasing me was definitely the right decision,” Radwan says. “They stuck by their word. They said that if I went away and worked on certain things, that I wouldn’t be far away and they’d be back in touch. The path I’ve taken has helped me get where I am at the minute.”
That path has taken him right up to England’s training camp, where he will be rubbing shoulders with May, his one-time idol. “Jonny was massive for me growing up – even now,” Radwan says. “He is someone that I look up to and think he is an incredible player. So the thought of playing alongside him for England is pretty crazy.
“That is a massive goal. I am obviously up against them in selection, but I can learn so much from them.
“Not only is he class on the pitch, but he does the work off the pitch, too. So that is why he is one of the best wingers in the world over the past few years.”