Former Great Britain rugby league captain Farrell joined Saracens earlier this year in a six-figure deal jointly funded by his new club and the Rugby Football Union.

And head coach Andy Robinson has wasted little time welcoming him into the England fold, naming the 30-year-old among a 45-man senior elite player squad which also includes Farrell's fellow union convert Jason Robinson.

But there is no place for another former league star - Gloucester back Henry Paul - or for Leicester fly-half Andy Goode or Harlequins prop Mike Worsley, who were all involved in England's RBS 6 Nations campaign last term.

Former Wigan ace Farrell is expected to feature in the centre or back row for Saracens, and he could make his debut during the club's pre-season schedule, which includes friendlies against Bedford on August 20 and Quins seven days later.

England's first Test of the new campaign is a Twickenham appointment with Australia on November 12, although it would be a major surprise if he made an international
breakthrough this year.

Farrell is joined by five fellow elite squad newcomers in Perpignan prop Perry Freshwater, Wasps wing Paul Sackey, Gloucester scrum-half Peter Richards and Bath front-row forwards Lee Mears and Duncan Bell.

Ten other players, meanwhile - Andy Beattie, Matt Stevens, Olly Barkley, Louis Deacon, Ollie Smith, James Forrester, Tom Palmer, Tom Voyce, Chris Jones and Andrew Sheridan - have been promoted from last season's senior academy squad.

Only three of England's original 19-strong Lions contingent are not included. Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio have both retired from international rugby, while flanker Richard Hill is currently battling a career-threatening knee injury.

Robinson has scope to increase his senior squad by a further five players and add another four to a current 16-man senior academy group.

But he will not call up any more than 30 at a time for England training days or Test weeks, following an agreement reached between the RFU and Premier Rugby.

The academy contingent, under the direction of Brian Ashton, includes Newcastle back Mathew Tait, Leeds centre Chris Bell and highly-rated Wasps flanker Tom Rees, and takes the current overall elite squad to 61.

"I want to congratulate players selected in the EPS (senior squad) for the first time, and those players who have moved up from the senior national academy last season to the senior squad," said Robinson.

"These 61 players in the senior squad and senior national academy will form the back-bone of our England hopes and aspirations for the coming season, and we are able to add one or two more to the list to a maximum 70, depending on form and recovery from injury.

"In the next few weeks, I plan to call up no more than 30 players at any given time, predominantly from the senior squad, for England training days that have been agreed in principle with their clubs, and for Test weeks."

RFU performance director Chris Spice added: "There is always much to discuss when it comes to the EPS programme.

"Working closely with the Premiership clubs, we are seeking to manage the elite programme through to the 2007 World Cup and beyond.

"This is something that can only be achieved through partnership and the continued support of our top clubs."

Precise details of England training days for the new season have still to be announced, following talks between the RFU and Premier Rugby chairman Tom Walkinshaw.

England 45-man senior elite player squad for 2005-06 season:

S Abbott (Wasps), I Balshaw (Leeds), O Barkley (Bath), A Beattie (Bath), D Bell (Bath), S Borthwick (Bath), G Chuter (Leicester), B Cohen (Northampton), M Corry (Leicester), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Dawson (Wasps), L Deacon (Leicester), H Ellis (Leicester), A Farrell (Saracens), J Forrester (Gloucester), P Freshwater (Perpignan), A Gomarsall (Worcester), W Greenwood (Harlequins), D Grewcock (Bath), A Hazell (Gloucester), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), C Jones (Sale Sharks), B Kay (Leicester), J Lewsey (Wasps), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), J Noon (Newcastle), T Palmer (Leeds), P Richards (Gloucester), J Robinson (Sale Sharks), G Rowntree (Leicester), P Sackey (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), O Smith (Leicester), M Stevens (Bath), S Thompson (Northampton), M Tindall (Gloucester), A Titterrell (Sale Sharks), P Vickery (Gloucester), T Voyce (Wasps), J White (Leicester), J Wilkinson (Newcastle), J Worsley (Wasps).

England senior national academy squad for 2005/06 season:

A Allen (Gloucester), C Bell (Leeds), C Brooker (Bath), J Crane (Leeds), R Davis (Bath), B Foden (Sale Sharks), S Geraghty (London Irish), D Hartley (Northampton), R Hawkins (Bath), S Hooper (Leeds), M Lund (Sale Sharks), O Morgan (Gloucester), T Rees (Wasps), D Seymour (Saracens), M Tait (Newcastle), D Wilson (Newcastle).