He is one among English rugby’s brightest younger abilities who has had a breakthrough season and been recognised for his achievements in inspiring the subsequent technology of black gamers.
Now, Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, nonetheless simply 19, has declared: ‘I do know I am nonetheless early in my profession however I need to do all of it.
‘I need to play for the British & Irish Lions and I need to play for England.’
Opoku-Fordjour is on the very begin of his rugby journey, however all indicators level to such development.
He has distinctive expertise and can look to proceed his development with England Below-20s this summer time.
Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour is simply 19 however is trying to go all the way in which to the highest in his profession
{The teenager} received the rising star award on the Rugby Black Checklist awards late final month
He’ll look to proceed his development with England Below-20s this summer time and has set his sights on the senior crew
‘He is obtained the flexibility to scrum and transfer like a free ahead,’ Alex Sanderson, Sale’s director of rugby, mentioned of his prop star. ‘He is proficient – that is an understatement.’
Final month, Opoku-Fordjour’s fast development was recognised as he took dwelling the rising star gong on the Rugby Black Checklist awards. Chatting with Mail Sport after selecting up his trophy, his interview was interrupted first by former England centre Luther Burrell after which a younger lady and her household.
‘Massive future this one,’ mentioned Burrell.
After posing for an image with the lady and her mum and signing their rugby ball, Opoku-Fordjour was instructed he was ‘inspiring the subsequent technology.’
Returning to the interview, Opoku-Fordjour mentioned: ‘I by no means anticipate it when that form of stuff occurs and it is nonetheless a bit loopy for me.
‘I wasn’t actually into rugby however once I began watching it, it was guys like Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje who helped me to actually see a pathway to go down.
‘They confirmed me I used to be ready to do that.’
Opoku-Fordjour may quickly be a team-mate of Genge and Itoje with England. He will not tour New Zealand with Steve Borthwick’s facet this summer time.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson has praised the rising star, saying proficient is ‘an understatement’
Former England centre Luther Burrell, in the meantime, interrupted Mail Sport’s interview with Opoku-Fordjour to say he has a ‘large future’
As an alternative, after profitable an Below-20 Six Nations title with England earlier this 12 months, he’ll head to the Junior World Championship in South Africa with the junior crew. He hasn’t but spoken to England senior head coach Borthwick. However, in years to come back, he will certainly be pushing exhausting for full Check choice.
‘The award means quite a bit. It simply exhibits the exhausting work I have been placing in and the time folks have been placing into me has been value it and the rewards are displaying,’ Opoku-Fordjour mentioned.
‘Sale have helped me a lot. It is the belief Alex places in you. He put me in at 19 to make my Premiership debut. You do not need to let that belief down. I am not completed with Below-20’s. I’ve nonetheless obtained a World Cup to win. We’ll see what occurs after that.
‘I do not actually know what my ceiling is. I am simply going to must hold pushing myself and see the place I can get to. I have to placed on weight and hopefully I can get stronger and fitter.
‘I positively want to try this to succeed in the height.’
Opoku-Fordjour has performed on the loosehead for England’s junior facet however sees his future within the No 3 jersey. His scrum capability caught the attention of Joe Marler after they went head-to-head in a recreation between Harlequins and Sale earlier this season.
Initially from Coventry, Opoku-Fordjour was a proficient younger footballer and began as a wing when he started his rugby profession at Broadstreet RFC.
Now, the entrance row is his area.
Opoku-Fordjour was a proficient footballer earlier than starting his profession at Broadstreet RFC
His facet are nonetheless within the Gallagher Premiership play-off hunt after victory over Leicester final Friday
‘It is nice he will get recognition,’ Sanderson mentioned of Opoku-Fordjour. ‘He is such a uncommon expertise. He will placed on eight to 10 kilograms within the subsequent three to 4 years with out actually attempting as a result of he is obtained the body for it. He hasn’t obtained an oz of fats on him. These eight to 10 kilograms will assist him as a tighthead. As a tighthead, his job at first is to scrum.
‘A tighthead is the cornerstone of the pack. He was once a winger so I believe you will see extra of his athletic capability.
‘With the way in which tightheads are going to be evolving over the subsequent few years, he believes he’ll be on the forefront of that. Not on the forefront as a result of he is one of the best however as a result of he has the capabilities to be a new-age tighthead. I consider he is proper.
‘There are a great deal of looseheads who can transfer like that, however not many tightheads. England have gotten a depth of expertise at Below-20’s they usually’ve obtained two actually large tightheads.
‘However they are not conscious of the suggestions I am getting from our worldwide class looseheads about how good Asher is on the tighthead. He is dominating at 20’s stage.
‘Down the road I believe in the event that they took their blinkers off and had a have a look at his scrummaging and skill across the park as a tighthead, I believe they’d be agreeing with us.’
Opoku-Fordjour and Sale are nonetheless within the Gallagher Premiership play-off hunt after victory over Leicester final Friday. The Sharks should beat Saracens on Saturday’s ultimate day of the common season and hope different outcomes go their option to seal a top-four spot. An exciting ‘Tremendous Saturday’ of Premiership motion is in retailer this weekend.
Northampton and Saracens are assured semi-final spots. Bathtub, Sale, Exeter, Harlequins and Bristol are all in in rivalry to finish the equation.
Opoku-Fordjour can look again on his first season on the high stage with pleasure and is bound to enhance additional
No matter occurs, Opoku-Fordjour can look again on his first season on the highest stage with actual pleasure. The one method is up for him within the campaigns to come back.
England and Sale fly-half George Ford has been impressed by what he is seen.
‘Asher has been nice,’ Ford mentioned. ‘He goes about his enterprise and is extremely efficient. He is obtained his toes on the bottom and his mentality in the direction of getting higher is strictly the place it must be.
‘If he retains that and understands you want it each day all through your profession, then I believe he’ll go on and do nice issues.’
