Chris Robshaw: How Tony Adams helped me get over my exit from England

International exile: Chris Robshaw has not played for England since last June and did not make the World Cup squad
Getty Images

Chris Robshaw has been receiving career advice from former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams after reaching out to him on Instagram.

Robshaw has not played for England since June 2018 and was left out of the World Cup squad this summer, which has forced him to cope with transitioning out of the international scene.

It is a tough situation for the Harlequins flanker to deal with, particularly as he was hoping to go all the way in Japan after captaining the Red Rose to a pool-stage exit four years ago on home soil.

However, Robshaw has been denied the chance to do that and has revealed he has been speaking to Adams about the latter stages of his career after reaching out to him last year on social media.

“Don’t get me wrong I would love to play for my country again and if that opportunity came I would grab it with both hands. Unfortunately that probably won’t happen again,” said Robshaw, who is a boyhood Arsenal fan.

In Pictures | England's Rugby World Cup squad | 12/08/2019

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“I actually went and spoke to Tony Adams, the old Arsenal and England footballer, last year about transition and how you move from things to things, getting older and getting the best out of your body.

“I set it up myself. I actually messaged him on Instagram and said: ‘I would love to come and sit down and chat with him'.

“I was speaking to him about the next chapter in life and what you are going to do, and I was saying: ‘I do a bit of this and that, but I don’t do anything properly’.

“He said: ‘That’s the issue. You are always trying to compare it to playing in front of 80,000 people at Twickenham or 15,000 at The Stoop and nothing is going to be like that.

"You have just got to say that was a brilliant chapter of my life, but unfortunately that chapter is over’.

“I think the quicker you can do that, the quicker you can move on.”

Robshaw may have now dealt with his World Cup omission, but he admits that wasn’t the case initially.

Tony Adams
AFP/Getty Images

The 33-year-old has confessed to sulking in the wake of the news from head coach Eddie Jones, but he is now at peace with the decision.

“A week or so before [the squad announcement] he asked me to give him a call and chat about selection. Unfortunately when Eddie gives you a call it is not good news,” Robshaw added.

“I have had my sulk, I have had my mopw and you move forward with that. I think with international sport, or any kind of sport, you always want more.

“Of course, I would have loved another shot at a World Cup considering how it went last time. But unfortunately it is not going to be that way and you can’t mope and sulk forever.”

Harlequins return to The Stoop on Friday September 20 as they kick off the 2019/20 campaign against Bristol Bears in the Premiership Rugby Cup. Tickets are available at tickets.quins.co.uk

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