Having scored a try in each of his two appearances so far for England, you might perhaps expect Luther Burrell to be the centre of attention right now.
Asked if playing league had helped his development, he added: "Yeah, definitely.
"Obviously they are different skill aspects. League tend to spend more time on their skill sets, whereas in union it's a broader game and there are different aspects you need to work on.
"Being able to do both at such a young age has helped me out in the long run."
Burrell also believes his switch to play his club rugby at Northampton has been crucial.
After seeming to stagnate at Sale, a move to Franklin's Gardens in 2012 has allowed the Yorkshireman flourish. He is full of praise for director of rugby Jim Mallinder and all the coaching staff at Saints, all of whom have crucially shown faith in his abilities.
Confidence
"The coaching staff there have made me into the player I am at the moment," Burrell said about Northampton, who often choose to use him at inside centre.
"I'm playing with a bit more confidence. I didn't have that at the clubs prior (to Northampton) because I wasn't given the exposure.
"Jim (Mallinder) and the guys at Northampton have worked with me, both on the field and off it, and have taken me in these big games and given me opportunities. I've managed to play well and gain confidence.
"As a young player that's all you want to do. You want to get out there with that confidence behind you.
"When you've got world-class players around you like I have at Northampton, you can just feed off them. It's been brilliant for me and it's a fantastic club to be at. I'm very thankful for what they've done for me."
With his club side Burrell has had the chance to play in the Heineken Cup, Europe's premier club competition. However, he admits that playing for England has been another step up from that.
"It's the intensity and the speed of everything. It's very, very quick," he admits.
"Your reaction time has got to be spot-on, if you get caught napping you get sussed out. You're coming up against the best players in the respective countries and they're very smart.
"You've got to stay in the game for the full 80 minutes - you can't switch off for one second."
He has shown no sign of switching off so far. Next up will be Ireland, and a chance to pit himself against Brian O'Driscoll on his first international start at Twickenham. It is a daunting challenge, but one you would bet Burrell can rise to, because, so far, he's been leagues apart wearing 13 for England.
Get the latest behind-the-scenes news from George Ford and his England teammates with the upcoming fifth season of O2 Inside Line, the weekly show from O2 - proud partner of England Rugby - and the RFU www.O2InsideLine.com
