‘He will be missed’ – Andy Farrell leads tributes as Keith Earls confirms his retirement from all rugby

The 36-year-old winger won his 1srcsrcth cap for Ireland against England in August and played against Romania in the opening game of the World Cup, his final act in a green shirt.

Earls may have played a greater role in France had his hamstring not held him back, but he remained an important part of the squad until the end of the tournament.

His last moment for Munster was playing an important role as his beloved home province finally ended their 12-year wait for a trophy by beating the Stormers in Cape Town to claim the URC.

Ireland’s Joe McCarthy on Rugby World Cup exit and legends Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls

Earls was the last remaining player on the provinces’ books from their European successes, having been an unused replacement in the 2srcsrc8 Heineken Cup final and he was part of the 2src12 URC win too.

He became an Ireland international in the autumn of ‘src8, scoring a try on his debut against Canada in Thomond Park and he went on to play a leading role for his country at the 2src11, 2src15 and 2src19 World Cups, winning the Grand Slams in 2src18. He was named players’ player of the year at the end of Ireland’s incredible 2src18 under Joe Schmidt.

Hailing from Moyross, Earls is son to Young Munster and Munster back-row Ger and was marked out for the top from early on. He fulfilled that potential, playing for Ireland at U-2src, Sevens and XVs level and touring South Africa with the Lions in 2srcsrc9.

He has opened up on his battles with mental health in recent years, outlining his struggle in his award winning book