WILLIAM PORTERFIELD took the time to mention and thank his junior coach Brîan O’Rourke as the record-breaking former Ireland skipper officially announced his retirement from representative cricket.

It was Pembroke stalwart O’Rourke who persuaded a teenage Porterfield that he should move to Leinster from his home in the north-west, and play for Rush to further his ambitions in the early days of a career that would see him captain Ireland for 11 years.

“Brîan was one who was there looking after us from a very young age,” Porterfield said. “He took us on a lot of tours, helped us develop – he’s been a great coach and presence in Irish Cricket over the years and has helped to mentor many of my age.”

Porterfield was also full of praise for Adi Birrell who capped him in 2006, a year before he played in the first of three World Cups, helping to beat Pakistan and making a Man-of-the-Match winning 85 in a victory over Bangladesh in Barbados.

A year later when Trent Johnson resigned, Porterfield took over the captaincy, and with coach Phil Simmons and team manager Roy Torrens he formed a triumvirate that won 10 trophies in seven glorious years and took Ireland to the brink of Test match status.

“Simmo helped me through some hard times, especially around the leadership after I had taken over at a relatively young age, and Roy is a legend in Irish cricket, and up until he passed away last year, he was pretty much at every one of my games,” he said.

In all, Porterfield captained Ireland an incredible 253 times. Johnson, the second most prolific skipper, did the job on 60 occasions.

Along with scoring a century against England in 2013, and a World Cup ton against Pakistan two years later, perhaps the 37-year-old’s proudest moment was leading Ireland on to the field for their first Test match against Pakistan at Malahide in 2018.

His 310th and last international in January saw Ireland complete a 2-1 series win over the West Indies at Sabina Park in Jamaica, the scene of that famous victory over Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup.

“That was the ground where Irish cricket was put on the map,” he said. “In the build up to the games this year, a lot of the younger players were reminiscing as to where they were when we beat Pakistan, and how that inspired them.

“The realisation for me was that I was the only surviving member of that team on the pitch. It did make me feel a little old!”

After compiling 9,507 runs at an average of 31.1, with a record 18 centuries, taking 146 catches and effecting 24 run outs, Porterfield will take up a coaching role with Gloucestershire, the first county he played for before a spell with Warwickshire.

“It’s been an honour to represent my country for 16 years,” he said. “It’s something I had always wanted to do since I was a child and it’s been an incredible journey.”