As far as triumphs go, there have been few better in the history of English cricket than the 2-1 victory over Australia on home soil in the 2005 Ashes series.

So many players came out of those five contests with credit - Michael Vaughan for his captaincy, Andrew Flintoff for his form with bat and ball, as well as the impact made by Kevin Pietersen after he had been hoisted in for his debut.

Yet, a contribution that has often been overlooked is the one made by Ashley Giles, who stood tall alongside Pietersen in the final Test at The Oval in a partnership worth 109 runs, while he also weighed in with 10 wickets during the series.

However, following that success, Giles was often sidelined by hip and groin injuries, which eventually forced him to retire from all forms of cricket eight years ago today.

"It's a difficult decision because I'm saying goodbye to something I've done since I was five years old. I've loved playing cricket," said the 34-year-old.

"Even the rough times have been great because I've learned from them and been better for them overall.

"I would have liked to have left cricket at the very top, still playing the game I have always loved. But, there is no chance of me returning to cricket at any level, whether it be on the village green or Test arena."

Meanwhile, England skipper Vaughan added: "Ashley's retirement is very sad news and everyone in the England dressing room will miss his professionalism and, of course, his sense of humour.

"In my view, Ashley has to be one of the most underrated cricketers ever to pull on an England shirt. He was a key member of the England Test side which won six successive Test series and I know how much his team-mates valued his contributions to our success."

In total, Giles made 54 Test appearances for England between 1998 and 2007, during which time he took 143 wickets at an average of 40.60. Also, batting at number eight for the majority of that period, he scored 1,421 runs.

Furthermore, Giles earned a further 62 one-day international caps - a format in which he removed 55 batsmen and scored 385 runs.