Healy grateful for ‘extra 10 years’ after neck injury

After announcing his retirement from the sport, Ireland prop Cian Healy says he is “thankful” for the 10 more years in his career.

Healy, who holds the record for Ireland’s cap, will retire from international football at the end of the season and call time on Leinster.

The 37-year-old expressed gratitude that he was still playing after a neck injury almost ended his professional career in 2015.

He was unable to use his right hand because of a broken disk in his neck, but he recovered and defeated Brian O’Driscoll to win the nation’s most-capped game against Australia in November.

Healy remarked, “I had a different approach to rugby, and how I spent my time and put in a lot of effort,” after that.

You become a little more appreciative of those opportunities when that’s almost been taken from you.

You and I both manage to squeeze in ten more years of enjoying it, respectively.

Healy stated in December that he had already confirmed his plans to retire and that he had already done so before visiting the Six Nations camp in Ireland.

Ireland, which has three victories from as many matches, will face France in their final encounter on March 2 with France.

Healy argued that simply because I’ve decided to retire, I’m starting to consider the past or things that have happened.

“I’m here to do a job, and it should consist of two more victories and the lifting of a trophy.”

When Healy retires from playing professional rugby next season, he has said his main goal is to take a break for a while and that he won’t be playing for his boyhood club Clontarf.

He said, “I don’t know what it’s like to not be on one,” because I’ve been on a schedule since I was 14.