My Life in Rugby: Leon Lloyd – former Leicester, Gloucester & England back
But I came off the bench for 15 minutes against South Africa and there was a scuffle. I got kicked in the face and retaliated by throwing a punch.
I gave away a penalty and we went on to lose the game – Andy Robinson was livid.
He was not afraid to let me know how he was feeling. But nothing anyone could have said could have been worse than how I was feeling myself.
There was another Test the following week and surprisingly I got a place on the bench before coming on for Mike Tindall as we recorded a famous victory.
I remember Andy Robinson telling me ‘no penalties’ as I went on. I was just glad not to be stranded on one cap.
As a young kid I was into football but I could run fast. One day after school someone gave me the rugby ball and then I just ran like Forrest Gump from fear of being tackled.
They asked me to play rugby which I didn’t actually want to do, but I grew to enjoy it.
I started playing at 13 and by 17 I had been signed to Leicester.
I played at centre but Tony Underwood picked up an injury one day and I made my Leicester debut on the wing against Leinster in the Heineken Cup at Lansdowne Road in 1996.
Having played in the quarter-final and semi-final, I was not picked for the final which was disappointing but I managed to score two tries in the 2001 final.
A lot of players say making their international debut is the highlight of their career but if I had to pick one it would be that final. We were largely the same squad that had lost in 1997 so it was almost the shutting of one chapter and the start of another. It was a great moment for the club.
Dean Richards had taken over and started our golden era. It’s only afterwards you realise just how good it was.
Unfortunately injuries, including a shoulder problem picked up on England’s tour of Canada in 2001, prevented me from playing internationally for longer. It was frustrating as I’d become first choice for England.
I picked up a series of niggling injuries over the next three to four years which meant I couldn’t find any consistency before leaving Leicester for Gloucester in 2007.
It was tough going back to play against Leicester, going into the away dressing room and walking out first rather than second.
The crowd were cheering for me until I intercepted an Andy Goode pass and scored under the posts. The whole stadium went quiet and that’s the only time I have not celebrated a try.
I was forced to retire in 2008 due to an injury to my left knee. It was a really dark period and I turned to alcohol a lot.
Lewis Moody suggested I go for a job working in finance and fundraising at Oakham School in Rutland which I loved.
After three years, I was headhunted to work as chief executive of Legion Worldwide, a group run by international entrepreneurs including sports management services.
