Wales international James King has announced his retirement from professional rugby at the age of just 30.
The Ospreys backrower, who established himself as a firm favourite with fans at the Liberty Stadium, has been plagued by an ongoing shoulder problem, which he first picked up during a Pro14 clash with Ulster last season.
Now, after taking medical advice, he has taken the difficult decision to hang up his boots.
In a statement confirming the news, King said: “When trying to come back from the shoulder injury I sustained last season, I was still getting a lot of pain and just knew something just wasn’t right with it.
“Further scans have now gone on to show that the operation has failed and that my shoulder has not healed enough to continue playing rugby. I’m therefore announcing my retirement from professional rugby with immediate effect."
King made his Ospreys debut against Glasgow in 2009, going on to make 203 appearances for the region, scoring seven tries.
Only Alun Wyn Jones, props Paul James and Duncan Jones, fly half Dan Biggar and centre Andrew Bishop have made more appearances for the Ospreys.
A versatile forward, King also earned 11 caps for Wales, making his debut against Japan in 2013, and was also called upon for the the 2015 World Cup.
“Rugby has given so much to me and I’m truly grateful for all of it," he added. "I’ve travelled all over the world, met some incredible people along the way and had experiences that will stay with me for a lifetime.
“I’ve been at the Ospreys for my whole professional career and the Fans have been nothing but supportive even through tougher times.
“I would’ve liked to have thanked everybody who has helped me on this journey individually, but I’d probably run out of pages......and that’s just the rugby community!
“Never will you find a group of people where everyone is so forthcoming to help you, enabling you to be the best version of yourself. So to everybody who has helped me along the way - Thank you.
“To my partner Robyn I have to say a massive thank you. You’ve always been there for me win or lose and done an amazing job bringing up our family while I was away chasing my ambitions."
