Forrester won the last of his two England caps against Samoa in 2005 © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: James Forrester

Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership

Teams: England | Gloucester Rugby

Gloucester forward James Forrester has been forced to retire after struggling on his return from a knee injury.

The 27-year-old number eight ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in April 2007 and spent 18 months on the sidelines. He returned to action for the club's A League side this season but has discovered the joint will no longer stand up to the rigours of the game.

Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "The game's lost an enormous talent, I don't think we really saw how good he could be. The lad's worked tremendously hard to try and get back and for any player to call an end to a career at such a premature stage is an incredible thing to deal with."

Forrester, regarded as one of the quickest forwards in the game, scored 51 tries in 134 appearances for the club and also won two England caps.

As part of what he hoped what would be a full recovery process, Forrester spent time with renowned American knee specialist Bill Knowles, who had previously helped England internationals such as Richard Hill and Charlie Hodgson. But he broke down again during Gloucester's Guinness A League game against Sale Jets last month.

Forrester said: "I have put everything I have into getting back to fitness. I demanded more of myself in this recovery process than I thought possible, but it is simply not going to be and I have been forced to make the hardest decision any player will ever have to make - I had no option.

"Naturally, I am devastated my career has ended in this way. I have poured every ounce of effort into getting back to fitness for more than 16 months, but I now know it's not going to be enough. I suffered a setback after the game against Sale and have undergone another operation. That alone means I would be out for another eight months, and it is simply not feasible to continue.

"I have had a wonderful career and have a treasure trove of memories. I have been fortunate to have been involved with Gloucester during one of their most high-profile and successful periods in their history, and I would like to thank everyone involved at the club for making it such a special place - it will always be with me."

Forrester's remarkable try-scoring exploits included three hat-tricks during his Gloucester career. He also scored a dramatic touchdown in extra-time that saw Gloucester win the 2006 European Challenge Cup final against London Irish.

Ryan continued: "It is difficult to put into words just how hard he worked to return to full fitness - it was a testament to his desire to get back into the game after such a bad injury. He has played a massive part in Gloucester's recent history, and his place within the club is assured.

"The tragedy is we never saw the best of him - he could do things on the field that defied belief - and the game is losing a great talent."

The Board of the Professional Rugby Players' Association (PRA) also expressed their sadness at the news.

Speaking after the PRA October Board meeting, PRA Chief Executive Damian Hopley said, "On behalf of the Board delegates and the entire membership, we are very sorry to hear that James has been forced to retire. He has had a very difficult last 18 months with his injury, and we have been working hard behind the scenes to provide him with support through the uncertainty that he has faced about his future.

"Being forced to retire through injury is a devastating way to leave the game, especially at such an early age and the PRA will continue to support James through the coming months as he adjusts to life beyond rugby, and we wish him the very best of luck for the future."