Keith Earls will leave a "huge" legacy in Irish rugby after calling time on his 16-year career, says Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast.
The 36-year-old won his 100th Ireland cap during this summer's warm-up match against England and his subsequent appearances this autumn meant he has featured in four World Cups.
The 2018 Six Nations grand slam winner also managed to end his career-long association with Munster off the back of a victory in the United Rugby Championship final in May and speaking to RTÉ 2fm's Game On, his ex-provincial team-mate and current Munster attack coach Prendegrast was effusive in his praise of the Moyross, Limerick native.
"What a brilliant guy, honest as you'll meet, humble as you'd meet, brilliant family man, brilliant team player and an outstanding rugby player," he said.
"I've known Keith since he was about 10 or 11. I luckily played with his dad, Ger, in Young Munsters, 25 years ago it is now actually.
"He was 11 at the time when I first met him and I followed his career once I had that attachment with him and his family. His dad Ger, as I mentioned, and his mum Sandra are great people.
"He was a brilliant schools player with Munchin's College and won a Senior Cup in 2006, went into the Munster academy and then ended up playing with Munster at 19, got capped at 20, scored his first try in Thomond Park against Canada in a friendly game there and then at 21 played with the Lions.
"So that's some start to a career at 19, 20 and 21 and to be that grounded through your career especially as a young guy I think speaks volumes of Keith and what he's done."
Prendergast also highlighted his explosiveness as well as the versatility and footwork he showed from an early age and right through a career marked by longevity.
"His skillset allowed him to do that and he had a long career. You look at it, 16 years playing professional rugby," he said.
"He's seen it all, he's done it all. The amount of trophies and achievements he's won has been up there with the best and he'll leave a huge legacy.
"He was an incredible pro and you don't become a professional rugby player for 16 years unless you've really looked after yourself."
Prendergast also tipped Earls - who struggled with bipolar disorder throughout his career - to thrive as a coach if that proves to be a future ambition of his.
"You build up an awful lot when you get exposed to different environments and he's been exposed to so many different environments through Ireland, Munster and the Lions with different coaches," he said.
"And just listening to him last year, and I had the privilege to coach him, when he would speak it wasn't always, he'd speak when he felt it was the right time to speak and when he did that held a lot of value.
"And when he spoke, both sides of the ball, both in attack and defence, he knew exactly what he was speaking about.
"He'd analyse the game very well. To play for 16 years at that level, you need to know your stuff.
"From a coaching perspective, he's equipped himself very well and I'm sure if he was to go the coaching route, he would do it in the right steps as well."
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