And Quinlan, who was forced to miss out on the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa through suspension, is happy to be leaving the game with his body still intact and with a lot of memories to cherish.

“Certainly I thought about different options of continuing to play, but I didn’t really spend a lot of time thinking about them,” said Quinlan, who has made over 200 appearances for Munster.

“I’m going to be 37 in July. I certainly feel that if my heart was in it and my head was in it, I could go on and play and still be able to do a job for someone, whether it was Munster or someone else.

“I’m in a lucky position, hopefully getting out of the game in one piece, I’ve made some great friends and travelled the world. I’ve had an opportunity that so many people would give their right hand for.

“I’ve won Heineken Cups, played in front of what are, in my opinion, the best supporters in the world. I’ve been part of a successful period for Irish rugby, and it’s been amazing.

“Rugby has been so good to me that I can’t just walk away from it. It is ingrained in me, it’s in my blood. I could see myself getting back involved in rugby and certainly I would like to in the future.

"I did a coaching course a couple of years ago and I would look to do the level two course this summer."