Leicester's Geordan Murphy set to retire at end of season

 

Veteran Leicester Tigers captain Geordan Murphy is planning to retire at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old former Ireland international full-back has spent the last 16 years at Welford Road.

Geordan Murphy

Born in Dublin and officially named George after his father but his mother called him Geordan to avoid confusion

Made his Tigers debut on 14 Nov 1997 against Rotherham and has appeared in four Heineken Cup finals and seven Premiership finals

He has played 309 games for the Tigers, scoring 93 tries and 688 points

Murphy, who took over as captain in the 2008/09 season, is joint-owner of an Italian restaurant with Tigers prop, Martin Castrogiovanni

But he told BBC Radio Leicester: "It's planned to be my last contracted year.

"If I feel I can continue playing then I will be baying Cockers [Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill] for another contract, but if it's time to go then it's time to go."

Murphy, who has played in seven Premiership-winning teams, four Heineken Cup finals and has also won 72 caps for Ireland, added: "I love it a lot and would contemplate staying on, but I don't know what shape my body will be at the end of the season."

"I'm hopefully going to sign off with some silverware."

He made his Tigers debut as a teenager in November 1997 and has played more than 300 games for the club.

"Things went fantastically well in my first three years, but I didn't ever expect to play for the first team," said Murphy, who announced his retirement from international rugby in May.

"I was offered another three-year contract and went on to win European trophies and lots of other silverware. At the end of that, I felt very loyal to the club and sort of made it my home away from home."