FORMER York City Knights captain Ed Smith has been forced into retirement at the age of 28 due to injury.

Smith played over 130 times for York between 2010 and 2017.

The skipper left the club after suffering an ACL injury and went on to join Oldham who won promotion to the Betfred Championship last year.

But further injury has forced Smith to hang up his boots.

Smith told the Oldham website: “My knee didn’t feel right and when I spoke to the surgeon he said the reconstruction graft looked thin and there was a high risk of arthritis in later life or the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) failing for a third time.

“It was still a tough decision for me to make, but I’m sure it’s the right one.

“I have tried desperately hard to get to a position where I could play for a while longer, but it wasn’t to be.

“Things haven’t worked out, but it wasn’t for want of trying.”