England rugby star Joe Marler has admitted that he was a fan of Ireland in his youth, years before donning the white shirt in front of the Twickenham faithful.
The loosehead prop is one of England's all-time greats, earning 91 caps since making his debut in 2012. Jason Leaonard and Dan Cole are the only props to play more times for England than Marler.
Joe Marler Confesses To Supporting Ireland As A Kid
Marler is known for his eclectic taste in hairstyles, his banter on the field and generally not being the stereotype of an English rugby player.
Writing about going against the grain in his youth in his column for the Mail Online, Joe Marler admitted to supporting Ireland in his formative years.
Not many people know this but I grew up supporting Ireland. I loved guys like Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes and Paul O’Connell.
My mate, Matt, reminded me of it the other day when he sent a photograph of me wearing a green jersey as a porky teenager.
The photo of Marler in an Ireland shirt is a a sight to behold. Without the trademark mohawk and beard combo, it's hard to recognise the England stalwart.
There was some reasoning behind Joe Marler's decision to support Ireland, but it was a decision that didn't go down too well with the people around him.
I have some Irish blood on my mum’s side of the family and I was a bit of a non-conformist. Even though I grew up here, I didn’t want to be like everyone else by supporting England.
It came to a head when I was 13 and giving it the biggun to everyone cheering on England when they were on TV in the club-house.
Let’s just say one of the first team players had a stern word with me in the toilets and I’ve supported England ever since.
Well on his way to 100 caps, Joe Marler definitely isn't a fan of Ireland rugby anymore.
He's tipped to start this Saturday at Twickenham against Ireland, which kicks off at 4:45pm.
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