Former Great Britain international Chev Walker has decided to call time on his 17-year career.
The former Leeds Rhinos centre, who turns 33 next week, has announced he will hang up his boots at the end of the season.
Walker, who is currently captain of First Utility Super League-chasing Bradford Bulls, made the first of almost 200 appearances for home-town club Leeds at the age of 16 in 1999 and enjoyed Grand Final and World Club Challenge success with the Rhinos.
A member of England’s World Cup team in 2000, he went on to play for Hull KR and had a brief spell in rugby union with Bath before joining the Bulls five years ago.
“My body is telling me that it is time to hang up the boots,” Walker said. “I will certainly miss being around the boys and training with them and I am disappointed to have not been able contribute as much as I would have liked on the pitch this season.
“But I hope I have been a positive presence around the club and in the dressing room.
“To be a part of the group which gets the Bulls back into Super League would be very special and would go down as one of my greatest achievements.
“I have been lucky to enjoy a fantastic career, playing across two codes, and achieving great things along the way.”
Bradford coach James Lowes said: “Chev has had a fantastic professional career.
“I was on Great Britain duty with him in 2002 – I even shared a room with him on the New Zealand home series – and over the 18 months I have spent alongside him here at Bradford, he has shown that he hasn’t changed one bit. He still has that youthful bounce about what he does.
“Sadly, though, there comes a time when a player has to announce their retirement, like I did, or when your body tells you that you have had enough.
“It is a tough time when people are forced to retire but we wish him all of the very best.”
State of Mind would like to thank Chev for all the support he has given over the past few years!