In 2015, Cian Healy was so close to retirement that the paperwork had already been signed.
A neck injury late in the 2014/15 season led to surgery, and when complications after the operation left him unable to use his right hand, the loosehead prop feared his career was over at the age of just 27.
Just under 10 years later, he's leaving on his own terms as the most decorated player in the history of Irish rugby.
Having signed his insurance papers in the summer of 2015, Healy never handed them in, as the feeling came back into his hand bit by bit. His career continued, or maybe his second career began.
As devastating as an injury-enforced retirement would have been, he packed a lot into that first part of his career. From his debut in 2007, up until that point, he’d played 130 times for his province and made 51 appearances for Ireland, winning two Six Nations titles, three Champions Cups, a Challenge Cup and three URC titles, a haul befitting of any professional.
The fact that he’s gone on to play another 85 times for Ireland and 147 times for Leinster, winning another Champions Cup, three Six Nations – two of which were Grand Slams – and added four URC titles to his tally, makes his career all the more remarkable.
He’ll ride off into the sunset of retirement with a pocket jingling with medals, although he has plans to add a few more between now and the summer, starting with a sixth Six Nations championship this month.
"That’s what it’s all about, trying to win another one," Healy said this week, having confirmed his retirement on Thursday.
"Just because I’ve decided to retire doesn’t mean I’m starting to think back about things and think about the past. I’m here to do a job and ideally that job is two more wins and lift a trophy."
The 37-year-old's retirement decision had been expected. In September when he passed Devin Toner on the list of all-time Leinster appearances, he revealed this would likely be his final season as a pro, while he also dropped that hint when he broke Brian O’Driscoll’s Ireland appearance record the following month.
He eventually settled on his plans to finish in December, before informing Leinster of his decision just before the Six Nations in late January.
Having been a professional for more than half his life, Healy has seen plenty of rugby players struggle to adapt to life after rugby, a challenge he believes he’ll be able to deal with.
"Take a break for a while, get off a schedule. I’ve been on a schedule from cup rugby from [the age of] 14.
"I don’t know what it's like to not be on a schedule. Do that, go on a decent holiday somewhere in the summer, get into the workshop a bit. Do a bit of crafting, making things, using my hands, using my mind, change it up a little bit."
Those who follow 'Church’ on social media will have seen his knife-making hobby, and one of his big summer plans is to get back into that workshop.
"Currently, it's a bit of a bombsite. All sorts of steel, exotic woods and mammoth tooth.
"There’s all sorts of stuff that I’ve been using to make the blades and the handles and knives and see what I can do, and see how I can change what normal is.
"It is about trying to find something that gives them that level of enjoyment that sport has given them. I like workshop stuff, doing things with my hands, making things, creating things, that gives me a huge sense of satisfaction and enjoyment.
"That's a hole I could fill no problem, that's something I'd hold on equal to rugby in terms of how I feel come the end of the day at that," he added.
Retiring to the quiet life of the workshop is in contrast to his earlier days moonlighting as a DJ.
And the father-of-two admits his wild days are well and truly behind him.
"I was a headbanger, I was wild, I loved it.
"Start rugby, start getting paid, start going into town, having good craic, you are still training well, you are still playing well, you don't see a fault with it.
"I couldn't tell you when exactly I toned down. It could be somewhere in line with post the neck thing in 2015.
"I ended up with just under 130 kilos, not shocking weight, but I had to go on a weight-loss journey and that probably tidied me up a little bit and got my act together and then, just the natural progression of settling down a bit and figuring out there is a bit more to it."
He also isn't ruling out a potential move into coaching.
Jack Boyle, who looks set to inherit Healy’s place in the Ireland squad, has spoken glowingly about the advice and technical training Healy has helped him with around the scrum.
"I have thought about it [coaching], yeah. I wouldn’t write it off.
"I don’t know how much of an itch I’ll have after a while. I’ve been doing a bit with Clontarf this year around the scrum and maul. I enjoy that, it's not a whole lot of time there.
"I feel natural in my position with the technical side of it - scrum, lineout, maul. To be able to share that knowledge or help someone with something that I’ve maybe spent a bit of time to figure out our troubles with, I find that quite easy.
"I can’t share fitness tips with people but I can share scrum tips and some positional tips," he added.
