Danny Care has warned that Marcus Smith will get “better and better” when Harlequins kick off their reign as English champions.
Bookmakers give Quins little chance of repeating their shock title triumph in the new Premiership season which starts on Friday.
Saracens, Exeter, Bristol and Sale are priced far shorter than the Londoners, who defied every expectation to lift the trophy in June.
Yet in Smith, Quins have a 22-year-old fly-half so rich in talent that Care already regards him as a “franchise” player.
The former England star said: “Marcus is a one-of-a-kind special talent, the sort of a player you build a club around.
“I tell you, people will come and play for this club because of him. If club and country look after him well he could be a superstar.”
As recently as January, Smith was an uncapped half-back playing for a team struggling in the lower half of England’s top flight.
Five months later Quins were champions after spectacular play-off wins over Bristol and Exeter - and first England then the Lions selected him.
“He is the real deal and only going to get better and better,” added Care. “That’s why Marcus gets paid the big bucks. That’s why the club has invested heavily in him and everyone’s talking about him.
“I know from speaking to a few of the Lions lads that they were blown away by his rugby brain. He and Owen Farrell hit it off really well. That’s a really good sign for the future for England.”
Harlequins’ task is made immeasurably harder by the return of Saracens after their year-long Championship sentence for multiple salary cap breaches.
Exeter, finalists for the last six years, are smarting and bent on revenge after being beaten at Twickenham.
And Quins, who lost almost nobody to international call-ups last season, will undoubtedly give up key men this time round.
But Care is not about to surrender the victors’ crown - not while Joe Marler’s name is on the team sheet.
“This year is obviously a different kettle of fish, our strength in depth is going to have to step up," he said.
“But we still have Joe, who was sensational for us last season. Him not playing for England in the Six Nations is the reason we got into the top four, I’m absolutely sure of that.
“And his performances towards the end of the season were the reason we won the league.”
Care added: “I look at our odds and nobody is giving us a chance, but that’s fine by us.
“The club has learned from 2012 when we won the league and sat still, didn’t move forward or adapt.
“We know there is a target on our backs but we’re up for the challenge. The young lads in this team are so ambitious. For them once is not enough."
