RADWAN’S MO MENT TO SHINE
Another ‘Egyptian king’ is set to light up sport ...but Adam considers himself ‘VERY ENGLISH’
IF all goes to plan English sport will next month hail another ‘Egyptian king running down the wing’.
For Mo Salah at Liverpool read Adam Radwan, Newcastle Falcons’ 23-year-old rugby star. Radwan, whose dad’s family comes from Port Said, two hours from Cairo, considers himself “very English”.
But it did not stop Eddie Jones acclaiming the Yorkshire-born flyer as “probably the first Egyptian that is going to play for England”.
That was before his Red Rose debut against Canada in July where he responded with a hat-trick of tries to be man of the match.
With the touring British and Irish Lions distracting rugby’s focus away from Twickenham, Radwan’s achievement went largely unheralded. But all eyes will be on him if he comes through next week’s training camp in Jersey and is picked for next month’s Tests against Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
Radwan said: “It will be another step up and will be really difficult, but I don’t mind getting my head down and working hard.
“I like a challenge and I’m excited to be able to learn from Jonny May, who was massive for me growing up and is someone I look up to and think is an incredible player.
“The thought of playing alongside him for England is pretty crazy.”
Radwan was born in the North Yorks village of Osmotherley and played his early rugby at Middlesbrough.
“I am proud to have the roots that I have but I am very English,” he said. “I have lived here all my life - so I am an Englishman.”
His junior career took him on to
Billingham before Newcastle picked him up, then released him.
“I put all my eggs in the basket of being a professional rugby player and I never gave up on the dream,” he said. “I knew I was good enough, I just didn’t know if it would be for Newcastle or how long it would take to get back into their set-up.”
The answer was not long. Newcastle saw him rip it up for Billingham in a 99-7 win over Firwood Waterloo and stuck him in their second team two days later. Radwan scored a dazzling try and the next day Dean Richards signed him up.
Fifty one games later Radwan, who misses today’s trip to Gloucester, has 38 Falcons tries, 10 in 21 Premiership games. And with Anthony Watson ruled out with a ruptured ACL, England fans are licking their lips at the prospect of him and May on the wide outside.