'Still so much he can achieve' - Dowson delighted to hand Iyogun a new Saints contract

Dowson has handed Iyogun a contract extension, which was announced on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old is now a key figure at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, enjoying plenty of game time in the No.1 shirt.

And Dowson said: “We’re thrilled to keep Manny at the club.

"It feels like he has been around the place for ages, but at 24 he’s still so young – especially for a prop – and still has so much he can achieve.

“We want to keep pushing him on the journey he’s on. It’s not easy to make the switch into the front row, but with Manny you’d think he’s been playing there his whole life, which speaks volumes about him as a person.

“We talk all the time about our pathway system, and usually it takes longer for players in the tight five to learn the tough lessons they need to, and then make the jump into the first team.

“But he took to top-level rugby like a duck to water from his debut in 2020, and the fact he’s still so young with so much potential makes him a very exciting person for us to have in our group."

Iyogun quickly established himself at Saints, playing two years above his age group when he made his Under-18s debut for the club in 2017 – before transitioning from the back row to prop.

From there, the young loosehead has gone from strength to strength and earned international recognition in 2019, featuring for England Under-20s throughout their Six Nations campaign that year.

Iyogun was thrown in at the deep end in his first season in Saints’ Senior Academy, as a series of front-row injuries saw him make his senior debut in 2020 aged just 19-years-old.

But the prop’s resilience shone through despite his age and earned him a place in the starting line-up the following weekend for Saints’ Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final against Exeter Chiefs.

Those stand-out efforts would earn Iyogun the club’s breakthrough player of the season award at the close of the 2019/20 campaign, before he gained Championship experience on dual-registration with Bedford Blues the following season.

Iyogun featured in 20 matches for Saints in 2021/22, adding 13 and then 15 more appearances to his tally across the following two seasons, including playing in both the Gallagher Premiership final and Investec Champions Cup semi-final last year.

His performances throughout Saints’ run to the Premiership title earned Iyogun a call-up to England’s squad that toured New Zealand over the summer.

And though injury has kept the prop out of Saints’ recent matches, he has already made 12 appearances this season and was included in the England A side that faced Australia A in November.

“Manny’s athleticism means he is strong and powerful for his set-piece work, but his skill level and desire to carry the ball is another point of difference for him," Dowson added.

"There have been several games across the Premiership and the top table of Europe which stick in my mind where he couldn’t wait to put his hand up to carry the ball, and was dominant in every set piece.

“He’s always looking to get better, as all our players are, and striving for consistency from week to week.

"He’s already on England’s radar, going on tour to New Zealand in the summer, and that has whet the appetite for him to do that more often – this injury came at an unfortunate time for him, but I am sure he’ll have opportunities moving forward to represent his country.”