Harlequins prop Tag Lambert has confirmed his retirement after 16 seasons with the Premiership membership.
The 35-yr-weak will proceed to earn a role in the game in his publish as Rugby Gamers Affiliation chairman.
One-membership man Lambert scored six tries in his 251 appearances for the south-west London side after a profession-threatening head injure in 2005.
He turn out to be capped by England at Under-19, Under-21 and Saxons stage, however did no longer appear for the senior side.
Lambert is the third Quins participant to retire this month, following hookers Grasp Buchanan and Max Crumpton.
He most effective conducted seven first crew games in his first 5 years as a legit, after leaving the Quins academy thanks to accidents.
Lambert spent nearly a yr out of the game from March 2005 after suffering a dissected anterior cerebral artery in his brain.
The Londoner turn out to be then sidelined for an extra two seasons when he fractured his kneecap representing England Under-21s, and suffered a repeat of the injure on his comeback.
Playing on ‘borrowed time’
“I even had been on borrowed time in the game since I turn out to be 20,” he acknowledged. “And I even earn made it to 35.
“What facing retirement at a younger age gave me turn out to be an appreciation that this had to pause one day.
“For that reason, I even earn completed my most effective to attain the many of the experiences that earn approach my diagram.
“I conducted my first recreation in a Quins shirt in 2002. I’ve had an image of that 2nd on my wall for years.
“I even earn never been more nervous in my existence than I turn out to be sooner than my starting debut in opposition to Gloucester in 2004.
“And I even earn never felt worse in my existence than the day I turn out to be knowledgeable my profession turn out to be over in 2005.”
Lambert’s first season with Quins resulted in relegation and he missed most of their promotion advertising and marketing and marketing campaign lend a hand to the pinnacle flight in 2005-06.
He did, though, serve the membership safe silverware three cases, the Danger Cup in 2011, the Premiership in 2012 and the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2013.