Owen Farrell throws down the gauntlet to his rivals for England No 10 jersey as Saracens fly-half vows to remain a key figure for club and country

• Fly-half Owen Farrell, 32, is captain for both Saracens and England
• His importance to Saracens has been confirmed by his marquee status
• George Ford, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith in frame for England No 10 jersey

Owen Farrell plans on remaining a central figure for Saracens and England into the next four-year World Cup cycle after he declared: ‘I want to play as long as I can.’

Farrell, 32, is captain for both club and country. He led Saracens to last season’s Premiership title and England to a third-place finish at this year’s World Cup. 

He will be 36 by the time of the next global showpiece in Australia but isn’t going anywhere for now despite the emergence of younger No 10 options for national head coach Steve Borthwick.

‘I want to play as long as I can if I’m excited about what I’m doing,’ said Farrell, speaking at the launch of the new European rugby season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

‘I absolutely love what I do, I’m passionate about it, and I don’t see that slowing down. I wouldn’t sit down and set targets.

Owen Farrell (above) plans on remaining a central figure for Saracens and England

‘I also wouldn’t say they are not in the back of my head. They are there in the background.’

Farrell’s former British & Irish Lions team-mate Johnny Sexton captained Ireland at the World Cup in France at 38. Borthwick is blessed in the playmaker position.

He has Farrell and 30-year-old George Ford as his experienced duo with Marcus Smith, 24, next in line. Northampton’s Fin Smith, 21, has had a strong start to the new Premiership season.

Farrell’s importance to Saracens has been confirmed by the club’s choice to keep him as their marquee player – whose salary sits outside the limit each Premiership club can spend on their squad – for next season. As revealed by MailSport, that has placed Maro Itoje’s future into doubt.

A change to the Premiership’s rules mean each team can have only one marquee player instead of two moving forwards.

Farrell at the launch of European rugby season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday

It has forced Itoje to be offered a 50 per cent pay decrease if he wants to stay at Saracens.

‘We want the best players playing for England and if they’re not in the Premiership they’re not able to play for England,’ said Farrell, who has already seen a host of international team-mates end their Test careers by moving to France.

The RFU and Premiership Rugby are in the midst of negotiating a new agreement structure for the national game which looks set to include hybrid contracts for the country’s best players.

‘I think the players now are not scared of giving their opinion and not scared of saying what they think,’ said Farrell. ‘This is now an interesting time. I am sure we will have input.’

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