Harlequins face a possible second-row shortage over the festive period after Jim Evans called time on his decade-long Stoop playing career having admitted defeat to a shoulder injury.

The departure last month of Shane O’Connor and a long-term knee injury to Ollie Kohn leaves head coach John Kingston with only James Percival, Lewis Stevenson and George Robson as available lock specialists in the senior squad.

Evans, who will continue to help with techincal analysis and conditioning at the club, made his last appearance for the club in a 23-19 Heineken Cup defeat to Toulouse earlier this year.

And Kingston, who signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal at the club earlier this week, admits the 29-year-old’s retirement is a blow.

“I have personally worked with Jim for eight years and he has always given of his best and put the club first,” he said.

“He will be a sad loss on the field as he has the utmost respect from his fellow players.”

Evans earned England U21 and Saxons honours during a ten year spell with the club, where he played a key part in last year’s run to the Guinness Premeirship play-offs and Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

His one of the few remaining squad members to have experienced the pain of relegation in 2006, while being one of the only players on the current staff to have tasted European success.

And Evans admits much has changed since he made his debut against Northampton Saints in April 2000.

“It is ironic that the day I was advised to hang up my boots was exactly to the day, the tenth anniversary, since signing my first professional contract with the club,” he added.

“I have had some incredible times at Quins from winning the Parker Pen Challenge Cup in the last minute in Reading to beating Stade Francias in front of 80,000 in the Stade De France.

“The club is unrecognisable from when I originally signed and I have no doubt it will go from strength to strength.”

And that was a sentiment Kingston, who watched a brace from Chris Robshaw and one from rising star George Lowe secure a narrow 30-27 at Leeds Carnegie on Friday, echoed has he committed himself to the club until June 2012.

He said: “I feel we have developed a style that the players enjoy and which allows them to express themselves in a positive and successful manner.

“The squad has made giant strides and, with our summer issues well and truly behind us, I have no doubt that the next few years are going to be very exciting ones for Harlequins.”

Harlequins’ next three games: Dec 13 Sale Sharks (HCup, h), 20 Sale Sharks (HCup, a), 27 London Wasps (h - Twickenham).