Scotland forward David Denton has been forced to retire from rugby on doctors’ recommendation.
After being told he would be risking his health following an concussion battle the 29-year-old decided to hang up his boots.
Denton, who’d won the final of the 42 caps for Scotland in Argentina last summer, told The Times:”I have had this thing hanging over me for a long time now.
“Since the harm I’ve woken up each morning with pressure in my head and visual disturbances and not really understanding what is happening.
“Pretty much for that entire time that I’ve been imagining that next week I am better.
“Each time I tried to go through the comeback routine, I’d fail. I have tried everything but nothing has worked.”
Denton suffered a blow to your head during Leicester Tigers’ league game with Northampton Saints at Twickenham.
But his attempts to make a return to the game was finally given the news from neurosurgeon Richard Sylvester he must call time.
Had he been fit, Zimbabwe-born Denton would have been in contention for a spot in Gregor Townsend’s Scotland squad for the World Cup in Japan.
And the No 8 – who qualified thanks to his Glaswegian mother for Delta – admits he will miss pulling on a dark blue costume.
“The concept of never being able to run out in front of 70,000 people at Murrayfield back isn’t enjoyable,” he said.
“I want the boys to perform well [in Japan] and might so need to be there but that is not going to happen.
“It is very important to me I don’t look back with sadness at what might have been, instead look forwards and stay proud of what was.
“There was a lot more I wanted to achieve. All the sudden I’m unable to accomplish that.”
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