Vickery’s last appearance was on September 25 in Wasps 22-20 defeat against former club Gloucester, where he played for 11 years, but after another neck injury, medics warned him the risk of serious injury if he returned was too high.

The 34-year-old formed a key part of the 2003 World Cup winners’ front row, playing every minute of the campaign and scoring his first of two international tries in a pool match against Samoa.

Born in Devon, Vickery went on to captain his country to the heartbreaking 2007 World Cup final defeat against South Africa in Paris.

Nicknamed ‘Raging Bull,’ he won 73 England caps and starred five times for British and Irish Lions on the 2001 and 2009 tours.

Vickery is forced to shelve plans of an England return after setting his sights on a fourth and final World Cup campaign in New Zealand 2011.