Joe Marler says he’s been told to go on a diet by Harlequins as he’s ‘too fat’ – but he ignored them to go to a meat festival

Joe Marler admitted he fully satiated himself before the beginning a new diet to kick off the Premiership season with Harlequins.

The England prop may not be in the greatest shape at the moment, with his current club telling him he is ‘too fat’ before the start of the season.

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Marler played a pivotal role in Quins’ unlikely title-winning campaign last season, making 20 appearances as they defeated Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham in June.

Yet it appears he may well have enjoyed himself a little bit too much during the off-season, reportedly rocking up slightly overweight.

Having already told talkSPORT he ‘did not do a Harry Kane’ for pre-season earlier this summer, the 31-year-old joined Ally McCoist and Laura Woods on Monday morning to talk about his weekend at a meat festival.

Unfortunately for Quins, the feasting did not stop there as the 2019 World Cup finalist then indulged in a late night service station snack.

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“I had gone up to the Tobacco Docks in London to feast on some meat at this festival called Meatopia,” he said on Breakfast.

“I shouldn’t have gone because work have told me I am too fat anyway, so I am on a diet, but I said I would start on Monday.

“So Friday I went and I gorged myself up until about half 11. Got the train back to Guildford, then drove back from Guildford to East Sussex to get home.

“It got to about half 12 and I drove past a service station and there was something in me. Every time I drive past this service station, I have to stop.

“So I stopped and I wasn’t hungry, but I don’t know – maybe it is just built in me – I stopped and got a KFC.

“Then it crossed my mind that, if I am going to start my diet on Monday, I might as well fill my boots. I got home at about two o’clock in the morning and she wasn’t happy already, so it wasn’t a great start to the weekend.”

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