Matt Prior has announced he will no longer be standing behind England’s cricket stumps after retiring from all forms of the game off the back of a recurring Achilles tendon injury.

According to the BBC, the 33-year-old had been expecting to be fit for the season this year but this has not been the case and as such this regrettable decision has had to have been reached.

“I have always tried to play with pride and passion and have a deep belief that the team will always come first. Although I haven’t achieved all the goals I had set out to, I feel immensely proud of what I have done in my career. Sadly, it is now time to move on,” Prior was quoted as saying.

The player, who won 79 Test caps and became the first wicketkeeper for England to score a century on debut, also helped the team to three Ashes victories between 2009 and 2013.

While you’re out playing cricket, it’s important that you take good care of yourself to help prevent a similar injury to Prior’s from occurring. Excessive loading on your Achilles could result in Achilles Tendinopathy, caused by incorrect footwear, increase in activity, decrease in recovery time, running on uneven services, poor flexibility and inadequate warm-up and cool-down.

The next time you head out to the cricket nets for a bit of a game, make sure you take all proper precautions to help prevent injury. If you do hurt yourself, make sure you book a session with a physiotherapist so they can help limit any damage.