Leinster centre Eoin O'Malley has been forced to retire because of injury
The 25 year old who made 54 apperances for the club including 7 in the Heineken Cup has been battling a long term knee injury.
The Irish Wolfehounds international who was part of the extended traing squad for the 2012 Six Nations says its a tough reality that he is still trying to come to terms with.
O'Malley in his own words
“It is obviously an incredibly tough reality that I am still trying to come to terms with. After exhausting all options I am devastated to be retiring from the game. But I am so fortunate to have such a great support base. I would like to say a very special thank you to my family, girlfriend, friends and Leinster team-mates who have been so supportive - especially over the last few months.
“I owe an awful lot to my team-mates and all of the staff at Leinster. Naturally, as with any long term injury, you inevitably end up spending a lot of time with the physiotherapists, the strength & conditioning coaches and the doctors, so I would like to say a particular thank you to them. People often refer to modern day sport as a ruthless and cut-throat environment but Leinster have without a doubt gone above and beyond in all aspects, doing everything they could in attempting to help me with my recovery.
“I would also like to strongly thank Michael Cheika, Joe Schmidt and all of the great coaches I’ve played under for their support since my schooldays.
“At the age of 25, it is surreal to be reflecting on your career, especially when I hoped there were many more years ahead for me. Having had a bit of time to reflect on this day coming I look back with real pride; firstly by getting into the Leinster Academy and then progressing up the ranks to a Leinster squad who would go on to have such a successful number of years.
“To have played a small part in my home province’s success is something I dreamt about since I was a child and it will always mean an enormous amount to me. It was always a great honour to pull on the Leinster jersey and they are memories I will never forget.”
Paying tribute to O’Malley, Leinster Team Manager Guy Easterby said: “First and foremost, Eoin’s retirement is a significant loss to the squad because not only is he a superb player with a huge amount of talent he is also a great bloke who is well respected by both his fellow players and all the staff here at Leinster Rugby.
“He has been unfortunate in having a couple of serious injuries during his career but he has always shown the utmost professionalism and he has been a real example to all of the players.
“It is sad that a player with so much potential has to end his career at this point, but he does so with our sincere thanks for his contribution to Leinster’s success. A hugely popular man, he can look back on his career with great pride and we wish him well with the next chapter in his life.””¨”¨
