Nathan Earle has committed his future to Harlequins, the Premiership club have confirmed.
Earle, 25, joined Quins from rivals Saracens in 2018 and moved into the England picture after scoring 11 tries in 23 matches.
A scorer in England’s unofficial Test against the Barbarians in 2018, Earle was named in England’s Six Nations squad last year and touring Argentina the previous summer.
Earle is still tending to a long-term knee injury suffered against Northampton Saints which brought his progress to a halt last season.
As his rehabilitation nears its completion, the wing shared how he is ‘itching’ to get back.
“I’m thrilled to be able to extend my time at The Stoop,” Earle said. “I felt like I was playing some of my best rugby before picking up a knee injury at the end of my first season.
“I’m still rehabilitating at the moment, but I’m excited to get back out there and pull on the jersey again.
“Gussy [Paul Gustard] has given me a real sense of confidence to go out there and play my game. I’m itching to get back out on the field.
“It’s exciting to commit to a squad with so much young talent coming through under Gussy alongside so many experienced players within the group. Once rugby returns, there should be exciting times ahead for the Club.”
Commenting on Earle’s contract extension, head of rugby Paul Gustard said: “We’re thrilled to have Nathan recommit his future to the Club. Prior to his severe knee injury, he was demonstrating to everyone what I personally already knew, that he is a fantastic talent with the potential for explosive, match-winning performances.
“When we lost Nathan to injury, we lost more than just his fantastic talents as a player; we lost his energy, his personality, his competitiveness, and his leadership on the field. He was, and is, a key member of our playing group with the type of strong off-field behaviours and positive mindset that are fundamental to our environment.
“He has maintained his diligence and professionalism throughout his rehab along with the excellent direction of Elliot Clarke and the rest of our fantastic medical performance group.
“He has shown us the strength and competitive desire to get back out there in an improved physical condition if that was at all possible!
“I’ve watched Nathan progress as a youngster through to international recognition and latterly, of course, excel in his breakthrough season at our club. I have never had any doubts about his rugby ability and even less about him as a person, so personally, and as a club, we are excited that he sees his continued development in the Quarters.
“We are building a very exciting team that has the ability, the drive, and age profile to stay together for a long time.
“It is going to be a hotly-anticipated moment to see Nathan take the field with other young hotshots like Chis [James Chisholm], Cadan [Murley] and March [Joe Marchant], to name but three, alongside some incredible and more experienced talent like Danny Care, Joe Marler, and Mike Brown.
“Mix that in with new signings like Ashy [Chris Ashton], Andre [Esterhuizen], and Wilco [Louw] and we have the ingredients to really move on up when we return.”
