Batley Bulldogs forward Adam Gledhill has confirmed his retirement from rugby league with immediate effect.
The prop has been a stalwart at Mount Pleasant since making his debut for the club in 2014. In that time he has made 247 appearances for the Bulldogs, with 26 tries coming along the way.
The most notable of those tries came in the Million Pound Game when Gledhill touched down in the 44-12 loss to Leigh Centurions.
The forward had penned a deal for the new season, but work commitments have left the 32-year-old being unable to fully throw himself into the Championship campaign. As a result, he has chosen to hang up his boots.
“I just wanted to announce that with a heavy heart I’ve decided to retire from playing rugby with immediate effect,” he said in a video posted on social media. “It’s something that’s been on my mind for quite some time and other things have got in the way.
“I’ve been a lot busier at work and I’ve not been able to commit to the club for this year so it’s unfair to the lads and the rest of the team to not be able to give 100 per cent.
“I’ve had such great memories over the last 11/12 years at the club. Ones that stick out in particular are playing at Wembley, that’s every little boy’s dream, playing in the Million Pound Game and scoring one of the very rare tries that I do in that game. Memories that will last a lifetime.”
Chairman Kevin Nicholas paid tribute to the prop, while also confirming that the hunt to find a replacement forward is underway.
“To me he’s been an absolutely outstanding player for this club,” he added. “He’s totally underrated in the Championship and we’re going to miss him.
“I think he’s going to be coming up and watching quite a bit so you’ll still see him round and about. But I just want to say a massive thank you to Gledders and his family for what they’ve done over the last 12 years and good luck to him in his career.
“We’re already looking to see if we can get a replacement prop but no one can replace Gledders because he’s been superb for our club.”
