ANDY Hazell admits his 17th senior season at Gloucester could be his last.
The evergreen openside flanker has signed a one-year deal to stay at Kingsholm next term, but he concedes that may be his Cherry and Whites swansong.
The Gloucester-born back-rower is desperate to complete his entire career at his hometown club.
And when the time comes, the former Severn Vale School pupil wants to retire on his own terms.
But right now he is just as keen as ever to smash his body to bits for the club he loves.
The 34-year-old Kingsholm stalwart explained: "Maybe next year will be my last year, I don't know.
"I've always said I want to finish on my terms really.
"So I don't want to be hanging on.
"Touch wood I'm still fit and keeping the young boys on their toes in the fitness and things like that.
"So there's no reason why I should think to retire at the minute.
"Mentally I'm still there, which is massive.
"I still want to go out there and put my body on the line, I would never shirk anything ever.
"So that's still there.
"I do want to finish on my terms and I do want to finish if I can at Gloucester.
"So it's about making sure I do those things.
"I'm at the stage now where it's the twilight of my career if you like, and the last thing I want to do is move on.
"I feel I'm at a good enough level to contribute next year.
"As soon as I feel I can't contribute, that's when I'll have a think about hanging up my boots, but I think I've got a lot to offer the squad, on and off the field.
"Nigel offered me the contract and I was delighted to stay.
"There's nowhere else I want to be, to be honest."
Acutely grateful of the apprenticeship he served under fellow natural openside Andrew Stanley, Hazell is ready to pass on the tricks of his highly-specialised groundhog trade.
Now Gloucester Academy manager, when Hazell started rising through the Kingsholm ranks Stanley was the man holding the number seven shirt.
Hazell knows it is his turn to guide Gloucester's flankers of the future in the darkest arts of scavenging for turnovers, raiding into rugby's murkiest corners for the ultimate possession rewards.
Gloucester fan Matt Kvesic will be the newest recruit challenging for that role next term, the 20-year-old Worcester Warrior making the Kingsholm switch in the summer.
Hazell will also help the likes of Matt Cox and others continue to hone their skills, though, and he is relishing that new challenge.
Hailing the capture of Kvesic, Hazell continued: "If next year is to be my last then I want to help someone, whoever it will be, who is up-and-coming in that seven shirt.
"Maybe in the past when you're younger you don't want to give too much away.
"But then there comes a stage, as Andy Stanley did to me a bit when I was coming up through, where you've got to help people.
"At the end of the day I'm a Gloucester lad and I want people to do well.
"So there's a bit of that next year.
"You've got to have the youth in the squad, but I definitely think you've got to have your senior members as well.
"There's a good balance at the minute at the club.
"It's a good mix of younger players and slightly not-so young players – I won't say older!
"With Matt Kvesic it's an opportunity that might not come up very often, an opportunity for the club to bring a young lad in who has got a big future.
"And I think that was definitely the right move.
"One place you can guarantee injuries is the back-row, so it's important to have options and choice.
"But whoever's playing well, Nigel will select, that's the way he is.
"So we'll see what happens.
"Nigel will have a good lot of choice, and it will be different players for different games hopefully.
"That kind of competition will be great for all of us and for the club too.
"Also as a senior player it's my role to make sure new players coming in understand just how lucky we all are to play for such a great club as Gloucester.
"It's definitely about upholding and continuing the traditions of the club."
