Henry Pollock speaks to Sky Sports ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup final in Cardiff, revealing his eyes are fixed on becoming a European champion and then a Test British and Irish Lion.

Still aged just 20, the brash but supremely talented back-row has had a remarkable breakout season.

He only became a regular starter for Northampton in October, was still playing for the England U20s during the Six Nations and made his senior England debut off the bench against Wales in March – his only cap to date.

And yet, has a player so lacking in experience ever been more of a sure thing as far as a British and Irish Lions call-up goes? On Saturday May 3, Pollard faced three of the best back-row players in the world in Dublin in Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan and Caelan Doris as Northampton played Leinster away in the Champions Cup semi-finals. He ended the contest as the best forward on the park.

Next in Northampton’s way for a stunning European Cup title is Bordeaux-Begles of France at the Principality Stadium.

“The team are feeling really good. There’s a good buzz around the squad and it’s not every week you have a big European final ahead,” Pollock tells Sky Sports.

“We’re buzzing and it’s all teeing up nicely. We’re looking forward to it.

“It’s just been mad, a whirlwind I guess. At the start of the year not really being in the squad and then getting my first start against Sale at home, which was an amazing experience.

“Then I just kicked on through there, played some good Premiership minutes, and then got called up for the senior England side where I was lucky enough to get an opportunity against Wales. My mum and dad were there, my brothers in the crowd, and it was a moment I’ll never forget running out there.

“The run in Europe has been special, and that win against Leinster was the cherry on top. That day, I’ll never forget it. We went there as underdogs completely, everyone wrote us off. To get the win in their backyard, and then get the Lions call-up that week after was a dream come true.

“I spoke about it in the huddle with the team, the belief we have in our squad. I didn’t really think they’d been tested yet. They hadn’t had the season we had. We’ve had ups and downs, we’ve had tight wins, tight losses. We know that feeling.

“I guess we’re more used to the feeling of being hurt and of disappointment. I didn’t think they felt that. We all spoke about we’re tighter than them.

“Our captain [Fraser Dingwall], he’s a great character, and he spoke so well in the week. He said: ‘They’ve got a great plan, so do we.’ We just backed ourselves and no one else did. The rest is history.”

Northampton are seeking a second Champions Cup crown on Saturday, and a first since 2000 when they triumphed over Munster at Twickenham.

“We have 100 per cent belief in ourselves and belief the talent we have is good enough. Hopefully that’ll be enough,” Pollock says.

“This year, we’ve just been speaking about the connection we have in the squad. Our squad’s so young and we’re all such good friends off the pitch.

“I think that’s really important, creating that connection. We’ve got great leaders in the squad, we’ve got great players, and just great people to follow.

“The leaders we have in the squad, you want to play for them, you want to put your body on the line for them, and at the end of the day that’s what it comes down to: who’s willing to push themselves more than the other team.”

‘Lions call-up was surreal – now I’m aiming for first Test spot’

With Northampton out of the Premiership play-off picture, once Saturday’s Champions Cup final is out of the way, Pollock’s focus will start to the shift to this summer’s Lions tour of Australia, live on Sky Sports.

Not content with fitting the archetypal Lions ‘bolter’, the youngest member of Andy Farrell’s touring squad has his eyes on a Test start against the Wallabies.

“I’m definitely trying to prove myself for that first Test spot,” Pollock says.

“People say the hardest thing is to get on the plane, and once you’re on the plane, it’s just going for that first Test.

“It was a surreal moment. As kids you dream about your name getting read out, and it’s such a pleasure to have had all my best mates around me as well. It was class, good fun.

“We were all bricking it beforehand, and when your name gets read out, your heart just drops and next thing you know you’ve got three or four of your mates on you.

“It was such a pleasure to share that moment with them, and to be around the other boys that also got selected as well.

“I was definitely not expecting it. I think you kind of prepare for the worst and anything more on top of that is a bonus.

“I was hoping. After the run we’ve had in Europe and personal performances in the team as I’ve done pretty well, in the back of my head I was hoping but you never really want to think you’re in at all when you’re doing it.”

‘First time I met Andy Farrell I was up on a stage singing Billie Jean’

Asked when he met Lions head coach Farrell for the first time, Pollock replies it came in March after his Test debut in Cardiff and was a meeting which ultimately saw Farrell witness a rendition from the young flanker of a Michael Jackson classic.

“After my Wales debut, we had a post-match function. He [Farrell] came to watch England-Wales game in the Six Nations and then I remember it was me, Maro [Itoje] and Steve [Borthwick] who went up for this function.

“I saw him, spoke to him for a little bit, and then I had to sing my song in front of this whole group of people. I sang Billie Jean, just something to get the crowd going I guess, in front of him and about 50 or more people.

“We were down with the Lions last week, I had a nice chat with him to kind of catch up.

“Meeting the coaches and the players for the first time in that environment was really cool. Everyone was just so excited to get started, looking forward to what’s ahead. There was a little bit of a weird buzz, like your first day at school.

“There’s so much talent in the squad, and they’re world-class players. It’s going to be great to play with them and pick their brains a little bit. Especially the back-row, the best back-row in the northern hemisphere. It’s going to be really cool to learn off them and talk about how they see the game differently.”

Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.