Farrell: I was nervous over Saracens exit
Owen Farrell admits he was “nervous” over conversations about his wish to leave Saracens as the Gallagher Premiership club confirmed his departure.
French club Racing 92 announced last month Farrell will link up with them from July 1 on a two-year deal, making him ineligible for England selection as Rugby Football Union rules do not permit players who ply their trade abroad to be chosen for the national team.
Farrell, 32, had already announced that he would miss this season’s Guinness Six Nations in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being.
Saracens said in a statement yesterday the “most important thing” is for Farrell to put himself and his family’s well-being first and they would be announcing several ways to honour the player before his departure.
“It’s tough leaving a place thathasbeenmyhomesince I was 14,” Farrell said in an interview published on the Saracens X account. “It has beenadifficultdecisionbutit isanexcitingoneforourfamily. It has never been something we’ve thought about before, doing anything different. But for the first time ever we thought it would be good to go and experience something different and the time feels right.
“I was nervous about having some conversations, even bringing it up, because it’s never been thought about, let alone discussed before. But once we got into the conversations they were easy to have because of the calibre of the people here.
“The club have been fantastic with us throughout this year and it really counts for something when they care about nothing but the person.”