HALL of Famer Mick Ramsden has not ruled out a future return to York City Knights – after admitting rugby league in the Minster city was “in his blood”.

Ramsden is to leave the game when a replacement reserves boss can be found, after virtually 34 consecutive years of playing, training and coaching since starting out at the age of nine.

The 43-year-old - who has spent almost 23 years at home-town club York either as a back-row enforcer or popular member of the boot room - says he needs to spend more time with his family, especially his seven-year-old son, who himself is “getting into his sport”.

But he conceded he might ask to get involved again when Daniel is a teenager and “fed up of having his dad around”.

“It’s been on the cards for a while – I spoke to (head coach) James Ford about it six or seven weeks ago,” explained the York RL legend.

“Over the last couple of years all the time that rugby has taken up has affected my home life.

“James said to cut down my hours and miss the odd first-team game.

I did that, but I found it’s not really the way to do things for me - I’m either in or I’m not. I’ve been almost picking and choosing when I get involved and that’s not something I want to carry on with. I’m either fully committed or I need to back off.

“I need to spend more time with my little lad. I’m missing a lot of the things he’s doing and he’s missing out on his dad being there.

“It brought it home to me the other week. We trained Tuesday and Wednesday, then we had the reserves, then we trained Friday, then I was on the team bus on the Sunday and I got a text message saying Daniel had scored a hat-trick for his football team.

“It made me realise I had to find a way to put my family first, especially my lad. He wants me to see him – and I want that too.

“It’s a big decision and I’ve not made it lightly. But it’s been on my mind for a while that I’ve got to make a change.”

Asked if he’d be back, he said: “If the time is right in the future, who knows. When Daniel is a bit older and maybe doesn’t want me around in his face, then there’s a possibility.

“At this time, leaving is the right thing to do. I will keep up to speed with rugby, though, as it’s always going to be in my blood.”

Ramsden, a first-team assistant as well as reserves boss, admitted the Knights’ homelessness and off-field strife over the past six months made his decision easier.

The lack of a training base has badly hampered his second-team coaching programme, while, ironically, the day before the announcement was made he was leaving, the reserves game at Dewsbury had to be called off due to injuries and first-team call-ups.

“The situation at the club didn’t lead to my decision – but it has helped to make it a bit easier,”

he said. “As everyone knows, things haven’t been great off the field and I think a lot of things can be done a lot better.

“I want the whole mess sorted out so the club can go forward.

The players are desperate for it and we all know how fans are feeling.”

Ramsden, who joined the backroom staff after hanging up his boots following York’s 2005 National League Two title triumph, received a special presentation at half-time of last Friday’s match against South Wales from Kriss Brining, one of the young players he has since helped to bring through the youth set-up into the first team.

Ramsden added: “I’ve been a bit choked. Every time I speak to people like Ed Smith and Kriss Brining – two lads I’ve worked with since they were about 13 – I find it hard.

“I’m going to miss it. But I need to make changes for my family life and I’m hoping I can enjoy going to games as a supporter and taking my lad with me, rather than running around like an idiot.