Former Harlequins winger Jon Wells joined the 5 live sports extra commentary team for last Sunday's game between Bradford and Leeds.

Wells retired from the sport earlier this year at the age of 31 after failing to recover from a long-term neck injury.

Here he tells BBC Sport about how his life has changed since his retirement.

The overriding feeling for me ahead of Sunday's game is one of jealousy. You want to be involved in fixtures like this one as a player; as a retiree that feeling is concentrated.

But when I was asked to summarise the game for 5 Live, that tempered the jealousy a little.

So far the only way I can genuinely seem to enjoy watching a game of rugby is if I have another job to do while I'm watching it, something to distract me from the fact that I'm not actually out there competing, so 5 Live are really helping in that respect at the moment!

My wife says that I could genuinely enjoy watching games on television if I did another job around the house at the same time, say, some of the ironing - but I have not taken her up on this so far.

Lots of people have asked what I miss most and least about playing. All things considered, and lifetime friendships aside, I can probably put both down to a feeling.

It is now a truly liberating experience driving to a stadium without butterflies in your stomach.

I will never miss the half-dozen toilet visits, the heavy legs, the dizziness, the havoc that pre-game nerves can visit upon your body.

People need structure and direction in their lives and my structure and direction - like a needle on an unsettled compass - is a little shaky at the moment. Jon Wells

But those last five minutes before kick-off, when all the talking and preparations are done, are very special - it is an incredible buzz that I have not yet found a replacement for in my new life.

The closest I've got so far is the "3-2-1" before we go live in the commentary booth or in the television studio.

The first thing that hits you after retirement - and hit me almost the next day after finishing - is the feeling that you have jumped over a wall.

All your team-mates and close friends, some of whom you've known for over a decade, are on one side, all together, all doing what they were doing yesterday and will be doing tomorrow.

And then on the other side of the wall is you. It is very strange, but very liberating too.

Bizarrely, the first thing I did when I realised I did not need to go to training any more was to go training.

I had spent years waiting for the chance NOT to have to do fitness sessions and back-breaking weights sessions and here I was, not 24 hours after officially retiring, on my back in the gym with dumb-bells in my hands.

Old habits die hard I guess. But I think there's more to it than that.

People need structure and direction in their lives and my structure and direction - like a needle on an unsettled compass - is a little shaky at the moment.

It will settle, I know it will. And I will find a new direction and structure for my life.

I've tried to channel the need for exercise a little and entered my first triathlon - the Windsor Steelman on Sunday 4 July at Dorney Lake to raise awareness of, and money for, the Melanoma Foundation - a skin cancer charity. The training is different and varied and fun.

The long-term never worried me as a player. It doesn't now. What worries me - and I'm sure worries all recently or soon-to-be retired sportsmen - is the immediate future. What will I do today, tomorrow, this week?

There are very good things to come out of retirement though. Already my body, and especially my neck, feel much better than they were. And my family life is brilliant.

I have spent probably more quality time with my daughter than I ever have before and my wife is six months pregnant, so it's nice to be able to look after her a bit too (although I still maintain that ironing is still within her remit as it doesn't involve any heavy lifting).

As always, the 5 live team want to hear your views, so get in touch via text on 84040, e-mail sportsextra@bbc.co.uk and via twitter @stuartpykesport.

To find out how to listen to 5 live sports extra, follow the link below:

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version