Jonny Wilkinson tells Rob Burrow about battle with self-doubt
BBCEngland's Rugby World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson has spoken about how he battled self-doubt as he pursued his quest for on-field perfection.
The rugby union star told Rob Burrow it all came to a head during the final year of his career with Toulon in France, when his trademark kicking accuracy went absent at crucial times.
"Five times just before the final whistle I had a chance to draw or win the game - I missed all five," he said.
"I felt all those old scars coming up."
Wilkinson, 44, is the latest guest on the new series of the BBC’s The Total Sport podcast.
Called Seven: Rob Burrow, the podcast sees the Leeds Rhinos rugby league legend and his wife Lindsey interviewing seven sporting greats and asking seven questions.
The former Newcastle Falcons player, who made his international debut in 1998, scored 1,179 points for England - a record only recently surpassed by Owen Farrell.
The fly-half's drop goal for England in the final seconds of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final against Australia provided one of the country's most dramatic wins in sporting history.
But this career pinnacle felt a distant memory during his final matches as a professional player.
"As a kid I dreamt of being carried off on shoulders," he said.
"In my final year - when I'd done all the work - I missed all five [kicks]".
He continued: "Instead of being carried off on their shoulders and looking down on my teammates thinking they love me, I looked into their eyes and saw heartbreak.
"I felt all those old scars coming up - 'you weren't enough for this', 'they'll never respect you' - all these things I was after."
When asked what advice he would now give his seven-year-old self, he replied: "You're enough, you're safe, there is nothing missing."
Getty ImagesOther topics covered include rugby league, with Wilkinson revealing he once had the opportunity of a summer with Wigan Warriors while he was recovering from an injury.
"Part of me thought I'd love to find out, but the only issue was that had I re-injured [myself] the rest of my career was gone," he said.
Responding to a question from Burrow, who jokingly referred to rugby league as the "faster, tougher version of the sport", Wilkinson added: "I probably watch more rugby league than rugby union, it has been like that for a long time."
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association patron Burrow, who uses AI technology and recordings of his voice to communicate, was helped by the charity with eye-gaze technology to make the series.
Upcoming guests on the podcast include double-Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes and seven-time Paralympic gold medallist Hannah Cockroft.
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