James Simpson-Daniel has retired on medical advice at the age of 32 after dislocating his left ankle last November. The Gloucester wing had hoped to play a full part in pre-season training after failing in his attempt to return in the spring but a series of setbacks prompted specialists to advise him to retire after 276 appearances and 120 tries for Gloucester, as well as 10 England caps, a number that would have been far greater but for injuries.

“I was hammering the rehab and it was going well up to a certain point when I was advised to hang up my boots,” said Simpson-Daniel. “I always knew there was a chance it was a career-ending injury and as I sat in hospital the night I suffered it the surgeon said he wanted to operate there and then, I didn’t think I would play again.

“We sought advice of other surgeons and after the first big operation I was told there was a chance I wouldn’t recover but that they were confident I would come back. While I was always aware there was a possibility of not playing again, I was very confident I would be back. Now I’m still totally shocked and it will take a while to sink in.”

Simpson-Daniel made an immediate impact for England as a 19-year old in an uncapped match against the Barbarians when he rounded Jonah Lomu to score a try, but he missed out on the 2003 World Cup because of a back injury and just failed to make the 2007 and 2011 tournaments, though was voted the Premiership player of the year in the 2007-08 season.

He had a number of treatments in his bid to get prolong his career, but after breaking down in training at a camp in Exeter at the end of last week he accepted there would be no return.

“The ankle just wasn’t getting better and I made many trips to London in a bid to get it sorted out,” he said. “A few months ago I went up to have an injection but that didn’t work and in a last resort we tried pamidronate treatment where I stayed in hospital for two hours and it made me ill for several days. We were hoping it would do the trick but when I started running last week, it did not go according to plan and it was not fair on anyone, including myself, to drag it out any longer.

“Having to go through all the papers for the termination of my contract has brought it all home. I will reach a point when I look back on my career and realise how great it has been, but I am not there yet. I am so grateful to everyone who has played a part in my time at Gloucester and the fans have taken me in as one of their own, even though I am a northerner: that’s what I will miss the most – the roar as you exit the tunnel and run on to the pitch.”