Brian O'Driscoll has told how he became envious of his former teammates after retiring from professional rugby.
The Ireland and Leinster legend retired in 2014 as one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
But while he quickly found work in television punditry and enjoyed a new lifestyle, O'Driscoll has told how the excitement of his new freedom faded quite quickly.
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He told the Late Late Show: "The first year is great. You are glad to get out relatively unscathed. I've had this 15-year career and gone out on a high, and there is an elation that comes with that.
"Then I went on to all the parties, all the weddings and all the things you missed out on when you were playing.
"You do a full year of it and then it comes back to September when they have finished pre-season and started playing games.
"And then you go, that was cool but it wasn't as good as international rugby, then it sets in.
"To be clear, at no point did I ever reach a point of feeling really depressed, but I was just low and blue and really envious of my teammates.
"I felt guilty that I was envious of them."
He added: "Even though I was busy at stages, I felt myself slowly meandering through the days and not really doing anything.
"And then I kind of caught it, and there was a kind of catalyst for that. I went away on holiday and my Mum put together a photo album.
"I saw the album and I was appalled at what I saw. I hadn't put on much weight but all the redistribution of weight went to all the bad places.
"When you have been a professional athlete and you've been really proud of your physique, and then not to have that, I was thinking, "oh god, I'm really letting it slide."
O'Driscoll got back to training and exercising on a regular basis and credits it with restoring a much-needed routine to his life.
He said: "Now exercise has become such an important part of my life.
"The lads slag me and say, 'Jeez you are in better shape now than when you were a player', which is probably a reflection on the shape I was as a player."
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