The 30-year-old helped Scotland lift the Rugby World Cup Sevens plate in March, but has since struggled to overcome the long-standing problem.

The Edinburgh player made a try-scoring debut for Scotland against Tonga in 2001 but made just one more appearance before the knee problems began a year later.

“I’ve had three operations on my right knee since 2002,” said Reid, who has played on the wing and across the back row.

“The last four months I’ve been trying to rehabilitate my knee to continue professional rugby.

“Unfortunately, it hasn’t recovered sufficiently and I have been advised by specialists to consider retiring.

“My son, Rufus, is now nine months old and when he’s old enough I want to be able to run around with him.”

The former Glasgow, London Irish and Leeds player insists he has no regrets about his career.

“I’ve been very lucky,” he said. “I turned professional in 1996-97 really at the outset of the professional game.

“The advances the game has made, especially in how players are looked after, are terrific.

“I will never look back on my career with any regrets. Rugby has taken me places I would never have dreamed of going.”

South African born Reid – who qualified for Scotland through his Greenock born father – is now considering a coaching career.

Edinburgh head coach Rob Moffat said: “I enjoyed working with Roland. It was just a pity that injury curtailed the contributions he could make at Edinburgh over the last few years.”