Stephen Myler says that he will only look back on his career properly at the point where he hangs up his boots.
While Myler and the rest of the Saints were preparing to play London Irish at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend, 20 former players were introduced to the crowd, who between them had worn the black, green and gold over 5,000 times.
At whichever point he decides to step away from the playing field, Myler has certainly earned the right to join them at some point in the future, with his 274 appearances putting him joint 24th in the all-time appearance list, and only the second man to pass the 2,000-point mark in the 135-year history of the Saints.
But the man himself remains humble, taking each game as it comes and saving any full reflection for when he has retired.
“It’s a bit of a shock for me to find out that I’ve surpassed some of the appearances that those legends have made,” the fly half says in an extended interview in this week’s official Saints podcast. “I consider myself fortunate to still be at the club and to have managed to get so many games under my belt.
“It’s something that has happened and I’ll probably look back at the end of my career and say ‘that was special’. I’m proud to have played that many games for the club, but it’s not something that is at the forefront of my mind.
“I’ve been very fortunate to be at such a great club and have been happy ever since I came here. And I’ve not wanted that to change.”
Myler is one of three players in the current first team squad who has passed the 200-appearance mark – current captain Lee Dickson and former skipper Dylan Hartley the other two – with several more players approaching the milestone.
Together they have been a part of the most successful era that the club has had, and according to Myler the good times have stemmed from the spine of the team having been together for a number of years.
“I’ve become more aware of it over the last couple of years, but it’s not like a daily thing where you’re thinking ‘we’ve been together for so long’,” Myler adds. “It’s just happened. As well as myself, Lee, Dylan and Alex there are the likes of Christian Day, Ben Foden, Courtney Lawes, who have all been around and we’ve all grown up together since the first year back in the Premiership.
“But there’s no sentiment in modern sport. If you’re not doing a job for the club then they’re not going to keep you. That’s the way modern sport is. There’s too much on the line on the weekend.
“There are also a lot of kids coming through who are good enough, big enough and strong enough to play, even at 18, and they are putting pressure on the more experienced, established players.”
In the interview Myler also discusses the people who have influenced him most, why the year in the Championship was important in his rugby education, and who his most memorable moments and team mates have been.
Listen for FREE on any device at www.soundcloud.com/official-saints-rugby or subscribe via iTunes by searching for ‘Northampton Saints’.
