Owen Farrell, who is currently leading England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final against South Africa, could have achieved fame as a footballer had he gone on to join Premier League giants Manchester United in 2005, when the club scouts had noticed him, when he was still a youngster.
According to a report carried by Daily Mail, Farrell had a brief training stint with Manchester United in 2005. Then aged just 13, the club was impressed by his ability as a goalkeeper.
“You could just tell from within a few minutes of meeting him that he carried himself really well,” Manchester United first-team goalkeeping coach Richard Harris told The Telegraph in a recent interview.
“You can always tell when you meet a top-class sportsman, they have that air about them and he did,” he added.
Harris reportedly shared his thoughts about the youngster with the then manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the Red Devils even tried to organize a meeting between Alex Ferguson and Farrell’s parents.
However, as it turned out, the young star decided to stick to rugby and later joined the Saracens in 2008.
Farrell is hoping to lead his team to a World Cup win in the finals being played at the International Stadium Yokohama against South Africa.