Former England fullback Nick Abendanon said he is set to retire due to a lack of an opportunity to prove his quality with the French Top 14 season on hold.
“It’s difficult but at the end of June, I have to stop, I haven’t got a choice,” Abendanon told newspaper Midi Olympique.
“In my head, I hoped to play as much as possible at the end of the season to prove I was at this level and I deserved a contract at another club,” he added.
“It’s not at all my decision. There are things above us in life, events more important than your plans. I don’t feel ready to stop but I have to,” Abendanon said.
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Abendanon, who won the Top 14 in 2017, two Challenge Cup trophies and was the European Player of the Year in 2015, had talks with the San Diego Legion in the US and had been linked with a return to the English Premiership with London Irish.
“I had contact with some clubs, discussions that were advanced. But everything went cold. Now, I have nothing,” he said.
11 weird, wonderful and wretched England one-cap wonders
Does England waste talent? It’s something fans of the Red Rose have been asking themselves for decades and it’s something a number of high-profile names in the game have accused the country of doing.
Hugh Vyvyan
The Newcastle and Saracens legend, who made 245 Premiership appearances, won a deserved first England cap against Canada in the Investec Challenge match in 2004 and scored a try.
Stephen Myler
After an injury to Alex Goode he was called up to the England squad in May 2013. He made his début as a substitute for Freddie Burns in England’s victory over Argentina, scoring a conversion.
Christian Wade
He made his full test debut against Argentina on 8 June on the right wing playing the whole 80 minutes. Wade was selected for the second game against Argentina the following week but withdrew from the team when he was called up to join the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. He, to date, never won another cap.
Steve Hanley
Hanley was one of two Sale players to make their international debut in England’s final match of their 1999 Five Nations campaign along with Barrie-Jon Mather.Although Hanley scored a try, he also was handed-off by Craig Quinnell and suffered a broken arm as Wales won 32–31.