My Life in Rugby: Ricky Nebbett – former Harlequins, Leicester, Leinster and Esher prop

When I joined Harlequins as a teenager the first team had Brian Moore, Will Carling and Jason Leonard. It was basically the England team at the time. It wasn't yet professional but these sorts of guys got me thinking ‘this is what I want to do' – particularly Jason Leonard.
I have still got a photo of him and me when I was 15 and he was three times the size of me. If there was one guy who influenced my career then Jason definitely fits the bill.
We had quite good access to the first team and seeing them around the club and really got my juices flowing.
I started playing rugby for the minis and juniors at Sutton & Epsom until the age of about 15.
The dad of one of the lads I was playing with, Duncan Godfrey, was coach and scout of the Harlequins colts team.
Duncan was a good player and he went on to play for Scotland U21s before he joined the marines.
His dad, Bob, said ‘do you fancy coming along and training?' I went on to make my Premiership debut at 18 with Harlequins.
I was with Quins until I was about 21 and from there I went to Leicester. I was fortunate to go there when they were at the top and we won three Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups.
It was a very tough group of guys. They were all pretty much home-grown players and they had all played with each other for years at club level.
It was a great team to part of and one of the biggest highlights of my career was being involved in the Heineken Cup Final in France in 2001 when we beat Stade Francais.
I then played in Italy and for Leinster, before going back to Harlequins for a few years.
I had two years in Italy played for Parma – now called Crociati. It was a great experience and a real change of lifestyle.
It was probably not as intense or as professional in comparison to the likes of Leicester, but I loved my time over there. It also gave me a chance to enjoy my rugby and not put as much pressure on myself. I went there with a young family and it was a great start for them.
I was only in Ireland for a year but I got to experience the Celtic League, which was excellent. The one memory that stands out is when we played against Leicester at Lansdowne Road and they absolutely killed us.
I went back to the Stoop to finish off my Premiership career where it had begun. Most of my time has been spent at Harlequins but if you asked me to choose between them and Leicester I don't think I could.
I played two years in the Championship with Esher and I am now the forwards coach there.
There are times, at 36, when I think I could still put my boots on but I think I decided to hang them up at the right time.