London, June 11 (IANS): England wicket-keeper Matt Prior announced his retirement on medical advice from all forms of professional cricket on Thursday.

The gloveman was out of action since July 2014 because of a recurring Achilles tendon injury.

"Today is a very sad day for me as I am forced to announce my retirement from the game I love. I had been hoping and expecting to be fit for the start of the 2015 season. Unfortunately, this has proved impossible, and I have now had to reach this decision," Prior said in a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"I feel honoured to have played for Sussex and England as many times as I have and shared so many great times with both teams. I also feel privileged to have been involved in an era of such success for English cricket," he added.

Prior played 79 Tests, scoring 4,099 runs and effecting 256 dismissals. He appeared in 68 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), contributing 1282 runs and 79 dismissals.

"I would like to thank my family, team-mates, coaches and the people behind the scenes that have supported me throughout the years. I have created friendships that will last forever. It would also be remiss of me not to thank the fantastic support I have had from cricket fans both at home and abroad," he said.

"Matt has had a wonderful career as a wicket-keeper batsman for both Sussex and England. During a period where the Test team won three Ashes series and achieved the World no.1 ranking, Matt's contribution, both on and off the field, was immense," Andrew Strauss, ECB director, said.