Former Leeds winger Karl Pratt has retired due to injury. The 25-year-old was recently released by Bradford after struggling with shoulder injuries and has decided to retire altogether on medical advice. Pratt said: "I am devastated at having to leave the game but the specialist's advice has to be adhered to and it has left me no other option. When the Rhinos announced that they had secured the signature of Karl Pratt in early November '98 it was one of the biggest transfer fees ever for a teenager. In his first season in Super League he struggled to establish himself in the Rhinos side but took it in his stride and came back even stronger in 2000 to become a first team regular. In 2001 he was Mr Versatility when he played on the wing, stand off, scrum half and even hooker but returned to the wing for the majority of the 2002 season, earning representative honours with Yorkshire and Great Britain. In total for the club he started 67 games and was a replacement on 14 other occasions. He scored 38 tries for the club. Bulls coach Brian Noble admitted his sympathy for the player, who moved to Odsal in 2002 and made 62 appearances for Bradford, winning a clean sweep of trophies in 2003 as they took the grand final, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge titles. "It's a major blow for Karl and I am very disappointed for him," said Noble. "To have to retire at such a young age is a bitter blow and I wish Karl well for the future. It should serve as a warning to other players to make the most of their careers while they can because you never know what is around the corner."