'I have done everything I can' - Injury forces Dan Leavy to retire

Leinster's Dan Leavy has retire with immediate effect, after further complications from the knee injury he suffered in 2019.

The 27-year-old flanker was sidelined for 19 months, from late March 2019 until October 2020 after suffering a horrendous knee injury in his province's Heineken Champions Cup quarter final win against Ulster at the Aviva Stadium.

His comeback in 2020 was cut short after three months, when further knee surgery forced him to miss the rest of the season.

And while he returned for the current campaign, a series of minor injuries limited him to just seven games, the last of which also came against Ulster last month.

However, while he had not been on the official injury list in recent weeks, it would appear he suffered another setback with his knee, with the province saying he's been advised to retire immediately.

"I have done everything I can to come back from the knee injury I suffered in 2019 but unfortunately I can't do any more or ask any more of my body," the back row said in a statement.

"I'd like to thank Andy Williams, my surgeon, and Karl Denvir, my physio in Leinster, for all that they have done for me in the years since then. I can take solace from the fact that I tried everything over the last three years.

"I am very proud of all that I achieved in my short time as a professional.

"Some amazing highs with my brothers in blue and in green and I am beyond grateful for those days and those moments especially the highs of 2018 in Bilbao, the Aviva Stadium and Twickenham.

"More than that I am proud of how I carried myself, in particular over the last few years, and I hope I represented my club, my country, my family and friends to the best of my abilities in those years. I am beyond grateful to them all