Saints full-back Freeman reacts to his England call-up

It was one of the most important phone calls of his life, and Tommy Freeman missed it.
Tommy FreemanTommy Freeman
Tommy Freeman

Fortunately though, he soon called back and heard the news that he would be part of England' s 34-man squad that will prepare for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series.

Uncapped full-back Freeman then had another important call to make: to his mum.

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The 20-year-old, who was called up by England hours before Saints' Monday media session, explained: "Some of the boys were coming up to me before training and asking me if I'd heard anything but I hadn't at that point.

"Two seconds later I got a phone call. I actually missed the call to start with but I then called them back and it was great news.

"It was before training that I got the phone call and I didn't really know how to take the news.

"I called my mum straight away and then it was straight into a team meeting and back out on the pitch training.

"It was good, it's amazing to be part of it."

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Freeman and the rest of the England squad will head to Jersey for a five-day camp from next Monday.

And he added: "It's crazy - I'm still taking it all in.

"I'm really excited.

"I just want to get stuck in now and show them what I can do."

Freeman will be joined in the England squad by club-mates Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and George Furbank.

And he said: "It's a massive learning opportunity for me.

"I'm going to go in there with eyes and ears wide open.

"Obviously Courts, Luds, Furbs, they've all had a sniff so I just want to learn from them and get used to that environment.

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"I was in the England Under-20s squad and was hoping to do that during the summer but I had to have surgery on my knee.

"I was getting little comments from physios and that saying they didn't think I was far off the main squad. I was a bit taken aback and didn't know what to expect.

"Going into surgery I knew there was probably going to be no involvement and so I had to get my rehab sorted and recover really.

"I felt like I was a bit of a way off the main squad but I'm delighted and I want to get stuck in next week and show them what I can do."