Farrell England exit talk "surprise to everyone" as teammate in dark over future
Saracens star Jamie George concedes speculation surrounding Owen Farrell's exit from English rugby "came as a shock to everyone".
The fly-half, who has recently announced he will step back from international duty, has been heavily linked with a move to French outfit Racing 92. The Top 14 side maintain no agreement has been reached but there has been no denial of dialogue between the two parties.
Farrell has been England captain for several years and has spent the entirety of his career with Saracens. The expectation has long been that the fly-half would see out his career with the north London club - with talk of his departure stunning even those close to him.
George told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We don't know whether he's leaving or not. The speculation only broke recently so it came as a shock to absolutely everyone. I think Owen's quite a private person generally. Myself and Owen are very close so it's something we probably will have a conversation about but I haven't spoken to him about it yet.
"Ultimately it's his decision, whatever he wants to do, whether he stays or goes. I know he's going to be choosing the right thing for him and his family."
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George and Farrell have come through the ranks at Saracens together, winning numerous Premiership titles and three European Cups. Both men also stood by the club when they were relegated from the Premiership, helping them gain promotion in 2020 and then win the Premiership, once again, last season.
Farrell's decision to step away from the international scene was done to "prioritise his and his family's mental well-being". The England star, who became his country's leading points scorer at the World Cup, was booed by his own fans before a game at the tournament.
The fly-half, like Jamie George, has spent his entire career at SaracensA departure to France, where he could team up with former England boss Stuart Lancaster, would mean he was ineligible for international selection. Rules state that any player operating outside the Premiership cannot play for England - a rule which those in power are under pressure to review.
George claims the negativity, especially on social media, is a dark side of being a rugby player. "We all have to deal with it and it's an unfortunate part of the job. I try my best not to read too much," he said. "I certainly stay off Twitter and don't read too much of the media, and I think that's served me pretty well. My message to everyone having been through it with Owen recently is that we're human beings.
"We make mistakes and it's not overly beneficial writing negative things about people online, and we really hope we can see a change with that. I think it's been incredibly courageous from Owen to step away from international rugby to put his mental health first and hopefully that's a sign to people that we are human beings, we do have families and it can be very very hurtful."
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