England winger Anthony Watson has retired from professional rugby for medical reasons, it was announced on Friday.
The 30-year-old has had several injury problems during his career, with the latest believed to be a back problem.
Watson, who played for London Irish and Bath before joining Leicester, won 56 England caps and appeared in other international matches on two tours with the British and Irish Lions.
He also featured in three Six Nations title-winning England teams and at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, when England reached the final.
He made his last appearance for Leicester in early December.
“I am proud and lucky to have done what I have done throughout my career: to have represented my family, my country and two of the biggest clubs in the country,” Watson said in a Leicester statement.
“When I started, I wanted to make my father proud more than anyone, I wanted to play for England and the Lions with my parents in the crowd, and ultimately, I wanted to share a moment with my children on the pitch.
“I can say I did all these things.”
England manager Steve Borthwick said: “Anthony Watson is to be congratulated on a fantastically successful career.
“I have been fortunate to have coached Anthony both at Leicester Tigers and in England. He is a humble, hard-working professional man who is universally loved and admired across the game.
“Anthony not only brought his incredible talent to the England shirt every time he played, but he was also an extremely proud player to represent his country.”
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