Nathan Cleary shares exciting news after sparking engagement rumours with his girlfriend Mary Fowler

Nathan Cleary has shared some exciting news after sparking rumours of an engagement to his girlfriend Mary Fowler.

The 26-year-old NRL champion has reached a major milestone in his career despite being forced to sit out the entire State Of Origin series due to a serious injury.

The scrum half has secured a huge six-figure five-year contract to become the face of deodorant brand Rexona, a feat Nathan still can’t believe is real.

“Sometimes I see my head pop up in a TV commercial or on a billboard and I think, ‘What the hell is this, that’s me?’ It’s still so weird,” he told the Daily telegram.

It was pretty crazy back then [Rexona] “When I first reached out, it was amazing.”

Nathan is the face of Rexona’s Not Done Yet campaign, which reflects the athlete’s attitude as he returns to the field after injury.

“Now that I’m not on the field anymore, I want to get back because I’m not done yet and I want to perform at my best again,” he said.

In May, the NSW champion halfback suffered a grade II hamstring injury, with an eight-week recovery period that saw him sit out the entire State of Origin series.

The Penrith Panthers star is expected to make his return for the round 20 clash against the Dolphins on July 21 and he is not letting the serious injury hold him back.

During his recovery, Nathan enjoyed a romantic getaway with his 21-year-old girlfriend Mary, who also plays for Matildas, giving them some quality time away from the pitch.

They are going to have a busy period, as Mary is preparing for Australia’s race for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, with her goal-scoring taking on added importance as the absence of injured striker Sam Kerr.

The much-needed break for the couple came just weeks after rumours of an engagement surfaced after they shared romantic snaps from a date night in Sydney.

Their enthusiastic fans soon asked the loved-up couple if they would be getting engaged soon.

“So when are you guys announcing the engagement?” one fan messaged, while another added: “Get down on your knees boy.”

Both athletes are very private when it comes to their relationship. Nathan admits that he didn’t expect his private life to be in the spotlight like this.

Last month, the 26-year-old NRL star and 21-year-old Matildas star Mary sparked engagement rumours among fans and jetted off on a romantic holiday together a few weeks later (pictured)

“It’s definitely different than when I was young and in first grade and people were dissecting my playing. I’d never had that before,” he said.

Mary and Nathan have been a couple since late last year, with Ny Breaking Australia exclusively reporting their romance at the time.

Photos at the time showed Mary resting her head on the Penrith Panthers star’s chest in a Perth park as the pair cuddled up before her Matildas match.

The couple made their relationship official in October in Perth and finally went Instagram official in January this year.