Huddersfield's Eorl Crabtree retires from rugby league

Eorl Crabtree is one of the most recognisable figures in Super League

Huddersfield Giants and former England forward Eorl Crabtree has announced his retirement from rugby league at the age of 34.

Crabtree has spent his entire 16-year professional career at the Giants, playing 423 games and scoring 79 tries.

The nephew of legendary wrestler Big Daddy, he also represented England 18 times.

"My head and body are telling me it's time to hang up the boots while still a regular first teamer," he said.

"It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve my hometown club throughout my entire professional playing career and while retirement from playing is a major landmark, the bonus is that I can have my nose put back to its original position!" he added.

Crabtree was part of the losing Huddersfield sides in the 2006 and 2009 Challenge Cup finals and was named in the Super League Dream Team in 2013 when the Giants won the League Leaders Shield.

He will take up a role with the club's commercial and marketing team.

"Eorl has been an outstanding player for this club and no-one should be in any doubt that he ranks among the finest professional sportsmen to ever to come from Huddersfield." said Giants managing director Richard Thewlis

"His playing record in the toughest sporting league, in physically the toughest position to me, marks him out as someone very special. He was the mainstay and cornerstone of our pack for years and without doubt a talisman for the supporters to get behind."

Crabtree has often been taunted by opposing fans as a 'Fat Robbie Savage', and Savage himself took to Twitter to offer his best wishes to the player for the future