Some people are destined from day one to play international rugby for England. Others owe their selection to an injury crisis or simply get lucky. And then, in a totally different category, there is Steve Borthwick’s latest new cap, a player whose unlikely journey to the top has required inspirational levels of resilience and fortitude.

To describe the persevering Emmanuel Iyogun’s debut off the bench in Argentina in July as hard earned is to put it mildly. At times the Spain-born son of Nigerian immigrants has had to show immense levels of determination, just as his parents had predicted. “There was always a sense growing up of, ‘You’ll have to work harder than everyone else. You might not get the privileges that some people get initially. So when you get told no or something doesn’t go your way, you just have to keep working. There isn’t any argument about it.’”

In Iyogun’s case, a can-do attitude has been consistently required since Northampton spotted him playing in Essex, where his mum was working as a nurse. Back then he was a teenage No 8, having previously played centre at Basildon RFC. Northampton’s head of academy, Mark Hopley, thought the strapping young hopeful would prosper in the front row but not all his teammates were convinced. “Alex Coles always laughs at me because he says I used to run away from rucks and just wanted to carry. So it’s quite funny that my job description now is mainly cleaning rucks.”

Hopley persevered, though, and invited Iyogun to switch to the front row for an Under-18s game against Leinster. “I wasn’t really on board with it but my personality is to just give anything a go.” It was far from an instant success. “I got absolutely dished up. I was going backwards at a rate of knots, it was one of the worst games I’ve ever played. But we had a meeting afterwards and he [Hopley] highlighted my character. Even when I was getting dished up at every scrum, I was still fighting. I think he kept me in for that personality trait rather than my propping ability.”

Fast forward a few months in 2020 and Northampton’s first team had an injury crisis. The fledgling prop was unexpectedly pitched into an East Midlands derby against Leicester and was then required to start a Champions Cup quarter-final at Exeter the following week. He performed so valiantly in adversity that even England’s watching coach Eddie Jones could be seen applauding from the stands. “I had a lot of difficult days and I think it made me better. It got me to a point where, at 19, I was able to go into a quarter-final and survive.”

He is also the type to take a punt, not least a couple of years ago when he decided to try to consult South Africa’s scrummaging colossus Ox Nché for a few tips. “I think they were playing Wales at Twickenham and he was in London. I found out he wasn’t staying too far away so I messaged him out of the blue on Instagram saying, ‘Do you mind if we have a catch up?’ I just wanted to talk scrums.”

To Nché’s credit he kindly agreed. The youngster couldn’t believe his luck. “I’m a nobody, right? [But] he was like, ‘Absolutely, yeah, of course.’ I thought he was pranking me. But we went out for a drink and had a chat for about two hours. He’s an absolute legend of a guy. He spoke about technique, his journey, what’s been important to him. And that’s something I’ve massively learned from.” Did Nché, famously a believer that “salads don’t win scrums”, order them anything to eat? “No salad, just massive cakes.”

The personable Iyogun, now 25, is similarly droll company. Not many pro sportsmen embark on a criminology degree – “I like the gory stuff, I like the real intricate financial crime … I’ve just always liked the idea of justice” – although his rugby commitments have subsequently intervened. He must also be the only England player ever to turn up for an interview wearing a retro Spanish national football shirt, a recent present from his girlfriend. The family left Madrid for Glasgow when he was two, however, and his professional sporting loyalties are not remotely in dispute.

Ditto his commitment to Northampton. He was front and centre of the Saints’ title success last season, was influential again in last Friday’s opening win over Newcastle Red Bulls and is relishing his new life in the front row. “Now I couldn’t think of anything worse than being a back rower like Henry Pollock and running around. I love scrummaging.”

The next challenge is Bristol Bears who will be missing the injured Ellis Genge, among his rivals for a regular Test starting place. Fin Baxter is in the frame, too, but Bevan Rodd’s latest injury setback is another possible sign of Iyogun’s changing fortunes. In 2024 he flew all the way to New Zealand for four days – “I was delirious [with jetlag] for the whole trip … I think I had and one and half training sessions out there” – as cover for Joe Marler and 2025 also proved less than ideal. “I’d done all the camps leading up to England’s summer tour and on the day we were supposed to fly out I tore my calf. That was absolutely gutting.”

Again, though, he used that disappointment as extra fuel. “It put me in a really good stead. I was hungry and I think that was evident from the start of the season. I really wanted to play well.” Hence the heightened emotions for all concerned when, finally, he become the 1,536th man to represent England’s senior side. “A lot of injuries and frustration were packed behind the first cap. A lot of people don’t necessarily see the work behind it.

“It was almost a relief that I actually managed to get out there. I was just thinking about my mum, my dad, my two sisters and all my friends who have come to games endlessly and watched us win the Prem. It was a bit tricky logistically for my family to come out [to Argentina] so they all packed down at Basildon RFC to watch the game. I’ve got loads of pictures of them celebrating when I came on. Just watching that after the game made it all worth it.”

The moral of the story? Hang in there long enough as a young prop and all those hard yards will be rewarded eventually.