Inside Owen Farrell’s world, from nearly joining Man Utd to hidden meaning behind celebration and changing his name
OWEN FARRELL has proven his worth to England's Rugby Union side through the years.
The Wigan-born fly-half has scored 1,000 points for his country, which he has captained.
Farrell could have played football for Manchester United, but snubbed their offer for Wigan Rugby League.
That allowed him to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father, Andy Farrell who was a union and league trailblazer.
He is married to longterm girlfriend Georgina, who prefers to keep her personal life private.
They do enjoy several swanky holidays, though, and he leads the lifestyle of a professional athlete worth millions.
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Born to do it
Farrell, who was actually born Owen Andrew O'Loughlin after his mum's last name, was always sporty as a kid.
Born in the North, where League was the dominant form of rugby, he played that version of the game from the age of eight for Wigan St Patricks.
However, when his dad signed for Saracens, the family moved to Harpenden, Hertfordshire where Owen learned to play Rugby Union.
"It was a huge change. I was turning 14 and at first I was adamant I didn't want to leave Wigan," he told in 2014.
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"All my friends were there and I loved league. It was everything I'd ever known and I was sure I wouldn't like it down south.
"But I was probably the first one in the family to settle."
Football or rugby?
However, before the move south, Owen and his family had a difficult decision to make.
At 13, already standing a strapping size, he was invited to Manchester United for a trial.
The natural sportsman excelled as a goalkeeper, and could have signed for the club.
Manchester United’s current first-team goalkeeping coach Richard Hartis told : “Owen was terrific.
"You could just tell from within a few minutes of meeting him that he carried himself really well.
“I remember him looking me straight in the eye and giving a firm handshake. He fitted into our culture really, really well.
“You don’t know if he would have made it because he was only with us a few months. But we absolutely would have liked him to stay.
“You can always tell when you meet a top-class sportsman, they have that air about him and he did.”
Owen and his dad were given a tour United's training facilities, and they met with Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, when Andy Farrell received an offer from Saracens, that was it for his football career.
Famous father
Farrell Sr paved the way for the League and Union crossover, starring in both.
As a Wigan legend, he won the RFL and Super League a staggering seven times, as well as the Challenge Cup on six occasions.
While, for England, he was Rugby League World Cup runner-up, losing to Australia in a heartbreaking final.
In 2004, he won the Golden Boot awarded to the best players in the world, retiring on a high in 2005.
But, much to everyone's surprise, he decided to sign for Saracens to play union.
Injuries and a car crash delayed his debut until 2006, until he found his position at centre for the Sarries.
In 2007, Andy would make his debut against Scotland in the Six Nations.
A disappointing World Cup campaign saw him having to pull out of the quarter-final decider against Australia with a calf injury.
Since 2016, Andy has since gone into coaching - first with Saracens, then with Ireland.
Supportive Wag
In 2018, Owen married longterm partner Georgie in a lavish ceremony attended by his international teammates Chris Ashton, Danny Care, Elliot Daly and Joe Launchbury.
Despite being the partner of such a high-profile rugby star such as Owen Farrell, his wife Georgie is a very private person.
So much so, the only pictures she has shared of the couple together on any social media platform was at their wedding.
She often goes to games to support her now husband, often joining him on the pitch after match but still, very little is known about her.
Georgie Farrell is on Instagram but her account is private, much like herself, with just 710 followers.
The happy couple have two children, both boys.
Tommy was born in March 2019, while his younger brother Freddie was born in March 2021.
They also have a dog called Ron, who Georgie enjoys taking for long walks.
Secret meaning behind celebration
Famously, for every point he scores, Owen has a special celebration.
Fans will see him link his index fingers together to make a 'JJ' sign - a salute for charity Joining Jack.
Their work is dedicated to sufferers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The charity is named after a sports-mad boy called Jack Johnson, who has DMD.
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An incurable disease, it causes muscle loss first in the thighs and pelvis which is then followed by the arms.
Young Jack is the son of Andy Johnson, who played with Andy Farrell at Wigan.
