Gough, nicknamed ‘Dazzler’, had been due to bow after the crunch relegation battle with Sussex, but has now pulled the curtain down on his glittering career after injuries and a creaking body finally got the better of him.

The 38-year-old, who played 52 Tests and 159 one-day internationals, will be remembered for his wholehearted attitude to the game. In his prime he formed a prolific new-ball partnership for England with Andy Caddick and also starred away from the pitch when he won the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

He made his Yorkshire debut as an 18-year-old in 1989, going on to take 453 of his 855 first-class wickets for his beloved White Rose county. Disillusionment with the club’s politics, and an unwillingness to offer him the contract he wanted following knee surgery, led to him enjoying a second lease of life at Essex before returning to captain the county in his final two seasons.

His final match was last week’s draw against Somerset, when he returned figures of 2 for 52, including the scalp of former Australian opener Justin Langer as his final victim.

"When I look back I’m glad my last wicket was Langer," he said after the match. "I’ve had some great battles against him and it’s nice to know my last wicket in Yorkshire was someone as good as him."

Reflecting on his decision not to play Yorkshire’s final game he added: "Some people said I should go for the romantic ending but it’s not about me, it’s about Yorkshire staying up. I really went back to the old times in my first spell against Somerset last week and anyone who seen it will know what I mean. That really took it out of me and I was struggling."

Gough, who hailed from Barnsley, played his final Test five years ago in 2003, although he managed to carry on playing in the one-day side until being left out of the World Cup squad in 2007. In total he claimed 229 Test wickets at 28.39, leaving him ninth on England’s all-time list, and 235 one-day wickets at 26.42.

The highlight of his career was probably the hat-trick he took for England against Australia at Sydney in 1998/9, although he was Man of the Series in England’s breakthrough series wins against both West Indies (in 2000) and Sri Lanka (2000/01) under the captaincy of Nasser Hussain. His best Test figures were 6 for 42 on his home ground of Headingley against South Africa in August 1998.

He was relatively short for an international fast bowler - 5ft 11 ins - but he was one of the first England bowlers to develop reverse swing and his ability to bowl Yorkers and slower balls singled him out as one of the finest ‘death bowlers’ in one-day cricket.

Gough may have retired from first-class cricket but he has hinted he may yet turn out for Yorkshire in next year’s Twenty20 tournament, and the IPL are sure to come knocking if he fancies one last lucrative pay-day.