Brett Deacon forced to quit because of illness and takes up Leicester coaching job The 31-year-old, who made 135 appearances for the Tigers either side of a spell at Gloucester, contracted a blood condition and has not played for the club since their Aviva Premiership victory over Wasps in April. "I've had a very enjoyable career and it is disappointing when the decision to stop playing is taken out of your hands but I have to go with the medical advice," said Deacon, who made his debut for Leicester in 2003 alongside his brother and England international Louis. He won three Premiership titles with the club. "Every young player growing up in the area wants to play for Leicester Tigers and I was fortunate enough to be able to do that, and to play for the club alongside my brother," he said. I was a supporter on the terraces and ended up playing through the academy and into the first team which was all I ever wanted to do. Richard Cockerill, Leicester's director of rugby, said: "Brett was a homegrown player who became an important part of the first-team squad. He always gave everything for the team and is a Leicester Tiger to the core. Meanwhile, Cockerill has said that Leicester are likely to open negotiations with Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns or Rhys Priestland, of the Scarlets, on Jan 1 if Toby Flood has failed to sign a new contract by then to remain at Welford Road. Flood is considering a move to France next season and Cockerill, Leicester's director of rugby, says he is not prepared to leave himself exposed if the England fly-half has not made a decision by the start of the new year. Premiership rules forbid clubs to begin negotiations with potential new recruits who are out of contract at the end of the season until Jan 1. "Come Jan 1 if Floody has not come to an agreement with us for obvious reasons we want to be talking to other people outside of the Premiership because we can," Cockerill said. You have got to be careful because if your options are to re-sign or sign elsewhere and your current player decides he wants to go and do other things, it's a dangerous game both ways. I don't do dithering.