Mike Yardy's retirement is poignant for so many different reasons.

When the all-rounder hangs up his boots at the end of the season it will bring the curtain down once and for all on a golden era for Sussex cricket.

Yardy is the last survivor from the team which won the County Championship for the first time and went on to dominate the domestic scene for seven years.

The likes of James Kirtley, Jason Lewry, Robin Martin-Jenkins and Murray Goodwin have all come and gone in the last few years.

When Matt Prior admitted defeat to injury last month it left Yardy as the last remaining member of that team which made history in 2003.

It is probably fair to say that Yardy’s departure will probably be mourned more than any of his esteemed former team-mates before him.

Goodwin summed it up nicely saying Yardy “was the epitome of a true Sussex player. Hard work, commitment and the team always came first.”

But the thing that made Yardy special for a lot of Sussex supporters was his determination to make the very most of the talents he had been given.

Yardy said: “I’m certainly no Kevin Pietersen but that is part of it. We are all given our share of talent and we have just got to make whatever we can of it.

“Unfortunately some people don’t make as much of it as they could but I know I have squeezed every last bit out.”

He certainly has. The 19-year-old who made his Sussex debut in 1999 cannot even dared to dream of how well his career panned out.

Yardy was just breaking through into the Championship side when Sussex won the title for the first time in the club’s history in 2003.

He played two games in that historic season but was soon a key member of the most successful side in Sussex’s history.

Further Championship titles arrived in 2006 and 2007 together with a clutch of one-day medals as Sussex dominated the domestic scene.

England recognition arrived in 2006 and his standing at Hove was underlined when he took on the unenviable task of replacing Chris Adams as captain in 2009.

Yardy enjoyed mixed fortunes as captain, leading Sussex to their only Twenty20 success in his first season in charge while also presiding over relegation in the Championship.

He steered them back to division one at the first attempt but his hopes of masterminding another title challenge were hit when he revealed he was suffering from depression in March 2011.

The fact Yardy battled back to take over the reins again before relinquishing control midway through the 2012 season highlighted his strength of character and determination to put the club before himself at all times.

The former William Parker pupil could easily have walked away after deciding his time was up but wants to play on until the end of the season to help the club which means so much to him.

Yardy added: “I’ve been thinking about it since the start of the season to be honest. I’ve been continually frustrated and felt the time had come to make a decision.

“I still feel I can bat and bowl well enough but for some reason over the last few years something has not quite clicked.

“I spoke to Jon Lewis about it and he said he always felt he could still do it physically but the ball was just not coming out as it used to and that’s when he knew it was time to call it a day.

“It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my back and now I can genuinely go out there and enjoy the last two months of the season.

“It is a decision which in an ideal world I wouldn’t have had to make but it is definitely the right one. Even on the good days I have not felt quite the same as in previous years when I really had the bit between my teeth.

“I feel in a much better place now I have accepted I am moving on so hopefully I can play as big a part as possible.

“I can go out there and play with freedom and enjoyment which perhaps hasn’t been the case this season and is something which has been holding me back.”

So what does the future hold for Yardy once the season comes to an end?

Typically he is not looking that far ahead and is focusing on helping Sussex finish the season strongly and also pen a fitting epitaph to his illustrious career.

“I’ve won a lot of trophies and hopefully I can win another,” added Yardy. “I see these next two months as important as any other stage of my career.

“We have got a great opportunity in Twenty20. The Championship has been a struggle this year but I’ve said to Ed (Joyce, captain) and Robbo (coach Mark Robinson) that if they want me to contribute then I’m still really focused. I’ve got a few things I’d like to do when I retire but I’m not thinking about that too much at this stage.

“I’ve still got two years left on my sports psychology degree so the first thing is to finish that but I want to stay involved in sport in some way.

“When the winter comes I can look back at what I have achieved but at the moment I am just excited about the next two months. I want to do myself justice and help the team.

“I am 100% happy with the way my career panned out. Sometimes you forget that when playing and are consumed with things but when I look back I’ll think I’ve done okay.”