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Maro Itoje insists he can still get better after being voted European Player of the Year
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The 21-year-old has played in 20 games this season, winning all of them
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Itoje was an important part of England’s victorious Six Nations squad earlier this year
Maro Itoje has insisted he “will continue to push the boundaries” to become a better rugby player following Saracens European Champions Cup triumph.
The 21-year-old, who played a key role in England Six Nations Grand Slam success, could be just two games away in the Aviva Premiership from completing a magnificent treble.
Itoje though still believes he must keep working hard to ensure he continues to improve.
“I feel I am nowhere near where I think I can be. I think there is a lot to come,” he said.
“I am still young, and there are still a hell of a lot of things I need to work on. I need to have that mindset and mentality if I want to keep improving.
“The plan is to become better at everything. No aspect of my game is perfect. There are a lot of things I know I need to work on with the coaches. Hopefully, if I do that, I will continue to push the boundaries.”
Itoje was also keen to stress that Saracens, where he and second-row partner George Kruis recently signed new deals, can still continue to improve despite their European triumph.
“Everyone is happy. It’s a big relief to get this (European title),” Itoje added. “If you look at the age of our squad, we are still relatively young, and we have some big players from numbers one to 23.
“We want to go out and do well in every competition – it’s non-negotiable. Now that this is finished, on Monday or Tuesday, we will put it to bed and start preparing for the next game.”
The lock was also quick to heap praise on team-mate Owen Farrell, who was in phenomenal form as he kicked all of the points as the London club claimed their first European Champions Cup triumph.
“Owen is a phenomenal player, and when it comes to big occasions that is when he steps up even more,” Itoje said.
“He’s a big-game player, he steps up to the mark, and you know if he’s on your team he will not disappoint you and he will fight every inch to get the success that we wanted. He is a big part of our team.”