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Milan - Italy hooker Ornel Gega called time on his rugby career on Monday after "two long years of suffering" following surgery on a knee injury.
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The 29-year-old Benetton player, who had 15 caps for Italy, has not played since rupturing cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee during a friendly in August 2017.
"I thank the staff and all the team for the affection they have given me in these two long years of suffering," said Albanian-born Gega, who also played for Italy at U20 level.
"Having to leave the team in this way and also my national teammates has been and continues to be painful.
"I gave my best to try to return to play but the injury and the whole series of surgical procedures which I underwent... oblige me first of all to think of having a life as normal as possible, which is unfortunately incompatible with sporting activity of any level."
