Mike Brown has his heart on sleeve, just like Roy Keane

Mike BrownIt is Tuesday afternoon at the Surrey Sports Park and ' training finished 45 minutes ago.
While the majority of players have showered and made their way to their cars, , unsurprisingly, is still out there doing a kicking session with England backs coach Mike Catt.
The full-back is not afraid to say he wants to be the best in the world in his position and his performances in the suggest he is up there with Wallaby sensation Israel Folau and All Black Israel Dagg.
However far from letting the accolades go to his head, Brown appears hungrier than ever to develop his game and ensure no-one can take the No.15 jersey from him in the lead-up to the .
After a well-earned week off that meant he missed the loss to Saracens at Wembley, Brown returned for Quins in the clash with London Irish at the Stoop – and put in yet another stellar performance to collect the Gatorade Game Changer award for March.
He was at his best again in wins over and but, for Brown, personal performances count for nothing if the team is not successful.
“You have to have massive belief in yourself,” Brown told The Rugby Paper. “As long as it's not arrogance that's good. I've only been doing it for a season so I've got to keep going if I want to be like Dagg.
“It's not about individuals. England's goal was to win the Six Nations and we didn't so I'm not going to go on about my personal awards.
“We played well and we've improved but I can't look past the fact that we finished second. It's the same for Quins. We're not in the play-offs as it stands and if it stays like that it won't be a successful season in my eyes.”
Brown, 28, is one of the world's most competitive players and, on the field, has only one gear – full gas.
That is what makes him such an asset for both Stuart Lancaster and Conor O'Shea and, like one of his boyhood heroes, Manchester United legend Roy Keane, suggesting to Brown that he may be holding anything back on the field would not go down well.
“That's what I'm paid to do. If I'm in it I have to be 100 per cent in it. Telling me I was only playing at 95 per cent is the biggest insult someone could say to me,” he added.
“I'd rather play with someone who's giving their all but making mistakes than someone who doesn't know what they're supposed to do or isn't even bothered to find out. That's very frustrating.
“My competitiveness is one of my strengths, that's what Conor and Stuart like about me. If people want to mix it up I'll mix it up but I have to always remember not to cross the line and get into trouble. Some players are competitive but don't show it like I do. I'm more a Roy Keane or Wayne Rooney in that aspect.”
Brown has played over 200 games for Harlequins since a try-scoring debut against Doncaster in 2005 but his Test career took longer to take off.
He made his debut in South Africa two years later but the disastrous 2008 tour of put his international aspirations on hold having to wait four years and the arrival of Lancaster for a fourth cap.
Now with 26 caps, including a spell on the wing in 2013, he is the established No.15. He would be one of the first names on the list if the were to tour this year and, being the competitor he is, reckons he should have had his chance last year.
He said: “It was hard not to be in the mix for four years and not even getting any feedback but when Stuart came in it changed.
“It was frustrating to be on the bench at first but Stuart reined that competitiveness in to make sure I was ready.
“Like any confident player I think I should have gone to . It was frustrating to see guys like or even Shane Williams being involved. I'd have loved to pull on that legendary jersey. Rob Kearney wasn't fully fit and I don't think Sean Maitland did better on the wing for Scotland than I did.”
With the World Cup next year and the Lions two years later, Brown is on a mission to be the world's best full-back.
Nothing is written in stone just yet but one thing is certain, he will not leave any of them unturned.
NICK VERDIER

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