Max Llewellyn has been one of the best players in the Gallagher Premiership this season so it is of no surprise he has been called upon to start for Wales against Ireland in this weekend’s Six Nations clash.

The Gloucester centre-winger hybrid was originally left out the squad by head coach Warren Gatland to the surprise of many Welsh fans and journalists. With Gatland no longer in post however, caretaker head coach Matt Sherratt was quick to call Llewellyn back into camp alongside Gareth Anscombe and Jarrod Evans.

Llewellyn will start against Ireland in the centres and hope to bring his scintillating club form to the international stage. He currently has seven tries this season with his side Gloucester currently third in the table during the Six Nations break.

A big, powerful ball carrier who has shown a skill for picking deadly running lines, he will hope to spark life into a Wales team that is currently on a 14-game losing streak stretching back to October 2023.

Here’s ten things your should know about the Gloucester and Wales centre.

Max Llewellyn will be hoping Wales can reverse their fortunes against Ireland. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Ten things you should know about Max Llewellyn

1. Max Llewellyn was born on 13 January 1999 in Kingston Upon Thames in London.

2. The reason Max was born in England was due to his father playing professional rugby at Harlequins at the time. Max’s dad is Gareth Llewellyn, the 92-cap Wales forward who played throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Gareth represented Wales at three World Cups and captained the side on seven occasions too. Max’s uncle Glyn also represented Wales on nine occasions.

3. Despite being born in England, Max was raised in Cardiff, Wales attending Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf school and playing his first rugby at CRICC (Clwb Rygbi Ieuenctid Cwins Cymraeg) Caerdydd.

4. Max Llewellyn then came through the Cardiff Blues academy, making his professional debut on 17 November 2017 against the Ospreys in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, aged 18. He would then have to wait until April 2018 to make his Pro14 debut, again against Ospreys.

5. While at Cardiff, Max also attended Cardiff Met where he studied business and played in the BUCS Super Rugby tournament.

6. Growing up, Max cited his father and wizard Welsh winger Shane Williams as his greatest inspirations. When he was a bit older, and bigger, he then idolised All Blacks legend Sonny Bill Williams.

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7. Llewellyn represented Wales at Under 20 level. He played in the 2018 Six Nations Under 20s and the 2018 World Rugby U20 Championship.

8. Form for Cardiff in 2013 saw Llewellyn names Player’s Player of the Season. It also saw him tipped to be called up to the senior Wales squad for the Six Nations Championship however he missed out through injury. Llewellyn eventually made his Wales senior debut on 5 August 2023 against England in a World Cup warm-up game.

9. After a breakthrough 2023 season, Llewellyn made the decision to leave Cardiff and travel across the River Seven to England where he joined Premiership rugby’s Gloucester.

10. Despite being 6ft 5in, his former second row father Gareth pushed for Max to play in the backs from the very beginning. After his first game as a lock in his youth, father Gareth said “You don’t want to be in the forwards!” He has been a centre and winger ever since.