Ben Youngs says his brother Tom paved the way for his career aspirations from an early age.
A former professional rugby player who hails his brother as a "role model" is glad their separation is over; now they are living down the road from each other in their home county.
As England's most-capped men's player, Ben Youngs, from Norfolk, was Leicester's youngest Premiership player at the age of 17 in April 2007 and retired from the sport in June.
Watching his older brother Tom Youngs join the Leicester Academy at the age of 16 really helped his pathway into the sport, he said.
He said: "Tom really paved the way for me, in terms of leaving to pursue professional rugby at the age of 16... he was the perfect role model for me."
Growing up with his former professional rugby-playing brother in Norfolk, he said he has fond memories of the county and hoped to give his own children a similar upbringing to what he had.
He said: "I've got great memories of growing up here in Norfolk, the family farm, the freedom that entailed for a young kid always wanting to be outside and playing, whether that was playing with a rugby ball or going out in the woods, everything seemed like an adventure.
"It's always been home. I moved to Leicester for 20 years and recently moved back. It's always been home for me and my wife."
As soon as his career finished, he knew he wanted to move back to be near his brother.
He added: "Tom, he paved the way for me really when he went and joined Leicester academy and left Norfolk to pursue his career. I was a few years younger than him, and I saw him go and pursue it, and I thought that's exactly what I want to do, I want to follow in his footsteps.
"To now move back and have him nearby... to do something unique like we did in terms of being professional players for so long, was lovely.
"What a unique situation you get to do something you love alongside your brother," he said.
Youngs made his England debut in March 2010 and played at four World Cups between 2011 and 2023.
He played alongside his brother Tom, who retired in 2022, while their father played for the club between 1981 and 1988.
In 2021, the family became the first to reach 600 Tigers appearances.
Last week, the former rugby star released a memoir reflecting on his career.
"So many people see you for those 80 minutes on a Saturday and don't really understand the process behind it or what it takes... I wanted to be able to share that and give a real reflection on my life in the sport and what it took," he said.
"The biggest compliment I can give to the book and career is when I wrote that last paragraph and put that full stop at the end, I felt incredibly content and walking away from the game."
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Category: General Sports
