Rangi Chase, pictured playing for Salford, has left rugby league after a spell with Leigh

Rangi Chase has been released by Leigh and quit playing rugby league altogether after making only five appearances for the club.

Chase, 30, signed a two-year deal with the Centurions last summer but injuries had limited his playing time and the Championship club's owner Derek Beaumont said he was moving on to pursue interests away from the sport.

The stand-off was crowned Man of Steel in 2011 after a fantastic season for Castleford, but a big-money move to Salford did not work out as Red Devils owner Marwan Koukash hoped and he was released halfway through a lucrative four-year deal.

Chase signed for Leigh last summer and revealed earlier this year the move had reignited his love for the sport, but that came before niggling injury troubles struck again.

Beaumont said Chase had not ruled return to rugby league in the future, and Leigh have retained his playing registration as well as signing former London Broncos stand-off Josh Drinkwater as a replacement.

Watch Rangi Chase's amazing pass to set up a try for Salford against Hull FC Watch Rangi Chase's amazing pass to set up a try for Salford against Hull FC

"Rangi has struggled to settle in the Championship after being plagued by little niggling injuries that have stopped him from getting fully going," Beaumont said in his weekly column for the Leigh Observer.

"As he said when he joined us, he wanted to fall back in love with the game and do what he liked doing best which is playing rugby. Unfortunately that hasn't been possible for most of the time.

"Rangi has an opportunity to do something away from the game and, having spoken to him at length, I had to agree it is probably the best thing for him at this stage, although I do hope that at some time in the future he returns to the game.

Chase was Super League Man of Steel in 2013 after a series of fine performances for Castleford

"He still has much to offer and I think a clean break for a sustained period, enjoying something completely different, will be just the tonic he needs to retrieve that desire, although it may be that he becomes so happy he has played his last game.

"To that end, I have agreed to release him to pursue those options without restraint, although I have obviously protected the club's interests at the same time as doing the right thing by Rangi.

"Whilst he hasn't been able to deliver in full what he wanted, I would hope the fans can be respectful to him and his privacy. I wish him well in his new challenge ahead."