WHEN Worcester were rebranded Warriors, there were few players who fitted the description as aptly as Neil Lyman.

The tighthead prop -- one of the few remaining players who made the transition from the amateur days to the professional era -- has been a cornerstone of Worcester's success during their rise through the leagues.

He was with them as they won through the National Leagues up until finally, 11 years after first arriving at Sixways, Lyman took his place in the Premiership last season.

It was a dream come true for the former fireman. Back in the big time and given a new contract to boot. However, that dream suddenly turned into a nightmare in August last year when, in his testimonial game against Cardiff, he fractured his sternum.

And, after a season fighting the injury in order to make an impression on Worcester's maiden voyage in the Premiership, Lyman has been forced to call it quits.

After being told the injury would never heal while he was playing, the evergreen prop has had little choice but to finally hang up the boots at the age of 35.

"I saw the specialist and he said it was a career-ending injury," said Lyman.

"My sternum isn't going to get any better while I'm playing and, obviously in my position, it takes a bit of a hammering.

"I reacted better than I thought I would to the news. When you retire and you make that decision, you can cope with it. However, when somebody else tells you, it can be difficult.

"At first, it didn't really bother me that much but when I was driving home from the specialist I thought 'Jesus -- what am I going to do? I'm going to miss all this.'

"I guess, though, everything has to come to an end."

Sixways, however, will be a poorer place without Lyman. The character of the man has enriched Worcester on and, importantly, off the field during his stay.

And despite only playing in a handful of games this season, the former Kidderminster man can quite rightly claim he made a big difference.

He played in Worcester's first-ever top flight victory against Harlequins at Sixways, their debut away win in Europe and, crucially, was on hand to steer Warriors to Premiership safety with big performances against Newcastle and Northampton on the final day of the season.

"That was important for me," added Lyman. "It had taken all that time to get into the Premiership and then you get an injury in your testimonial game which potentially was going to put me out for the season. I saw so many games pass me by but I did play against Quins in our first Premiership win and vital matches against Newcastle and Northampton.

"That is what I will remember the season for and I'm just happy that I made an impact in the games that mattered. I don't feel like I've let the club down."

That accusation is one which can never be pointed in Lyman's direction. After Chris Horsman was ruled out of Worcester's crucial run-in, it was Lyman who had to go through the pain barrier at Newcastle last month, despite not having played a match for four months.

And in true Roy of the Rovers style, Lyman gave his all as the Warriors claimed a spectacular 21-17 victory.

"I was in quite a bit of pain during the game and also it was my first action for months," he said. "The first scrum I hit, I came up with a few stars but the adrenaline soon got pumping. The win was absolutely vital and the effort everyone put in was phenomenal.

"It just goes to show what belief can do. Everyone at Worcester knew we could do it and the best thing for me was that we proved a lot of people wrong. People like Rob Andrew (Newcastle's director of rugby), who looked down his nose at us coming up, were forced to say we were worthy of our place in the Premiership."

So, what will this Sixways legend do now?

"I'm involved in building with a friend of mine so I always had that to fall back upon. I'm going to miss it all massively, though," he added.

"I've seen the club built up from a small pitch with a small stand to what they've got nowadays and it's so impressive now. I've seen the support grow from 50 people to 9,000. I'll never forget my time at Worcester. I'll be back in the future cheering them on."

There will always be a place for Lyman in Worcester's heart and, when the club perform next season, nobody at Sixways should forget this Warrior's contribution.

Without his spirit, grit and determination, that Premiership dream could have died at Kingston Park in April.

From Kidderminster rags to Sixways riches, here ends the tale of a modern-day hero.