Former Ireland captain Johnny Sexton broke his silence on his retirement this week by posting a heartfelt message on his own personal Instagram.
The Ireland captain ended his time in an Ireland jersey as the country's record points scorer, with many domestic and international titles, and a ton of individual awards as well.
Sexton had two spells with Leinster between 2006 to 2023, on either side of a stint at Racing 92 from 2013 to 2015.
He won the Champions Cup four times, the URC six times, and the Challenge Cup with Leinster. He has four Six Nations titles and was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2018.
The legendary out-half's last game was the narrow 24-28 defeat to New Zealand in Paris two weeks ago.
Starting off the message, the 38-year-old admitted that retiring after the loss made it even tougher to walk away from the sport that made him a household name in Ireland.
"Retirement is never an easy next step for any professional athlete. It is especially hard after the rollercoaster of emotions from the last few weeks in France," said Sexton via his Instagram this week.
"The sadness and frustration we couldn't progress further remain; they will for a long time to come, but the overarching feeling is the pride I felt playing with such a committed and talented group of players. The best group I have been lucky enough to be a part of... on and off the pitch. Leaving these players and these coaches is what is making retirement so tough.
"I've said it many times before, but there's no feeling like playing in front of a home Irish crowd, and that's what it felt like in Bordeaux, Nantes, and in Paris on those three special Saturdays."
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Sexton then went on to thank everyone who helped make him one of Ireland's best-ever rugby players. His wife, family, and former teammates also got a special mention in the Instagram post.
"I want to thank my teammates, both for Leinster and Ireland, for everything they have given me. The last season was one of the most enjoyable of my career and it makes it even more special to do so with people you care about, friends who will stay a part of my life in the future.
"To all the teachers, coaches, support staff, and all those who encouraged and supported my career starting out in Bective, St. Mary's College, club, and school, for over 30 years, thank you for everything.
"To the supporters of Leinster, Racing, the British & Irish Lions, and Ireland - with whom I was proud to share my journey - thank you for your faith and unwavering support.
"To my family, my parents, brothers, and sister who nurtured my love of the game and instilled my drive, I couldn't have made this journey without you.
"Finally, to my wife Laura and our children, your unconditional love helped inspire me through the ups and downs of life, and I am incredibly excited about our next chapter together. By far, my proudest moments were getting to play with my kids watching on."
Sexton then ended the message by stating that although they lost the battle, they won the war by inspiring Ireland fans.
"4 years ago we sat down as a squad and spoke about what we wanted to achieve. Our main motivation and objective was to inspire the nation. I think we achieved that. We lost, but we won," he ended the statement.
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