Saracens were relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2019–20 season following persistent salary cap breaches, bringing more adversity for Itoje to contend with.
Having won three Champions Cups and four Premiership titles by the age of 25, his decision to remain loyal and help the club return to the top of English rugby could have affected his England career.
He was named in reports as one of the players whose business ventures with Saracens owner Nigel Wray fell foul of rules restricting spending on players – something he was not aware of.
He remained a regular for England in 2020–21, while also playing a key role in Saracens’ victories over Ealing Trailfinders to secure promotion from the Championship.
Despite playing considerably less rugby, Itoje was selected again for the Lions in 2021 and impressed, being named the team’s player of the series in a 2–1 defeat in South Africa. The risk had paid off.
In 2023, an underlying health issue during the Six Nations led to some below-par performances from Itoje.
“I had something structurally wrong and I didn’t know it was structurally wrong until I was quite deep into it,” he said.
“To be able to persevere through that period and finally get a fix for that was great.”
As he had four years earlier, Itoje rediscovered his form to help England finish third at the 2023 World Cup.
“I have had a silver and bronze medal, I am desperate for a gold and I think we are capable of achieving that,” he said.
“It is a dream to play in a World Cup and win one.”
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