A fresh-faced looking Martin Corry pictured in England colours in 1996. Corry played for England Schools, England Students, the U-21 side and also at 'A' level before making the first of his 64 full international appearances against Argentina in 1997
By the time Corry made his full England debut, his club career had taken him from Newcastle to Leicester via Bristol. Here he gets an early taste of Heineken Cup action during the 35-18 quarter-final defeat against French side Pau in 1997
Corry was soon a regular in the England set-up. Here he leads the charge in a World Cup qualification match with Italy in 1998. Is that the blurred figure of Corry's future Leicester coach Richard Cockerill struggling to keep up in the background?
Further international recognition soon followed for Corry, in the form of a late call-up to the British and Irish Lions squad for the 2001 tour of Australia. He grabbed his chance, impressing coach Graham Henry and playing in all three Tests
But while Corry showed no fear either on or off the pitch during the 2001 Lions tour, he was unable to help prevent them losing a memorable and closely fought series 2-1.
Corry was a valuable member of England's triumphant World Cup squad of 2003 but remained on the bench in the final against Australia. He did get the chance to display his safe hands by getting to grips with the Webb Ellis Trophy during the victory parade
Corry, who represented his country in three World Cups, and his fellow World Cup winners pose in club colours after the successful 2003 campaign. Pictured are (l-r) Julian White, Neil Back, Ben Kay, Martin Johnson, Martin Corry, Lewis Moody and Dorian West
Corry continued to give his all for Leicester where his whole-hearted commitment and leadership qualities shone through and kept him in contention to follow Martin Johnson as England captain
Corry is named England skipper in March 2005, describing it as the "ultimate honour". But his spell in charge under coach Andy Robinson was not the happy ride he hoped for. England lost nine of 16 games under Corry but he handled it with great dignity
Vice-skipper Corry gets up close and personal with a Maori warrior on the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand. This traditional nose-pressing welcome or 'hongi' was just about the only friendly greeting they got on an otherwise miserable 3-0 Test series defeat
But life with Leicester continued to bring regular silverware as Corry celebrates another Tigers win with coach Pat Howard. Corry's club career at Welford Road saw him win five Premiership titles, two Heineken Cups and the EDF Energy Cup
As England skipper Corry had the dubious pleasure of regularly having to "front up" to the media. And as coach Brian Ashton's stand-in captain he handled the backlash after the 36-0 thumping by South Africa in the 2007 World Cup with typical dignity
Corry, never one to shy away from a challenge, played a key role in getting England's 2007 World Cup campaign back on track, getting on the scoresheet with one of his two tries against Samoa in a pulsating group match
Corry celebrates England's tense 12-10 win over Australia in the 2007 World Cup. Corry's versatility, which saw him slot in with equal comfort at flanker, number eight and lock, were a huge help to all the coaches he played for during a 64-cap career
England recovered from a terrible start to go very close to retaining their World Cup crown in 2007 and this time Corry played a key role in an unlikely march to the final where they lost to South Africa for the second time in the tournament
But a glittering club career had its fair share of heartache too. Here Corry takes a forlorn look at the Heineken Cup following a particularly painful defeat in the 2007 final against bitter rivals London Wasps
A long and physically demanding career started to take its toll on Corry and his bruised and battered body started to talk to him and he took notice. Corry retired from England duty after the 2007 World Cup to concentrate on club matters
A proud and inspirational captain, Martin Corry led by example before eventually hanging up his boots at the end of the 2009 season after 12 years at the Tigers. "If it was down to heart and mind I'd love to continue playing," he said
Corry, winner of 64 England caps during a ten-year international career, played his last game on English soil on 30 May 2009. He skippered the Baa-Baas to a thrilling victory over England and almost scored a try after a barnstorming run
England head coach Martin Johnson led the tributes when Corry announced his full retirement. "It was a privilege to play alongside Martin," Johnson said. "He was one of the most whole-hearted and committed players I played alongside."
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