Marcus Trescothick is to retire from professional cricket in September after 27 seasons as a Somerset player.

The 43-year-old former England opener has announced his decision following a disappointing start to the current County Championship campaign, which saw him left out of the team after scoring 88 runs in eight innings. But Trescothick remains available for selection and would like nothing more than to crown his illustrious career by helping leaders Somerset to a maiden Championship title.

"It has been an incredible 27 years and I've loved every minute of it," Trescothick said. "However, everything has to come to an end eventually.

"I've been discussing my future with the club and my family for a while and we felt that now was the appropriate time to make this announcement in order for the club and I to put plans in place.

"There's still a lot of the season left and I'll be doing everything I can to put in performances for the second XI in order to force my way back into contention for the first team."

Since making his debut in 1993, Keynsham-born Trescothick has proved himself one of the best players the county has ever produced, breaking numerous records and playing in 76 Test matches and 123 one-day internationals for England.

Those numbers would be even greater, but for the stress-related illness that led to him returning home from an Ashes tour in 2006 and announcing his retirement from international cricket in March 2008.

A legend with Somerset supporters and, with a stand named after him at his beloved County Ground in Taunton, Trescothick can leave the stage assured of a place in the club's history books alongside the great Harold Gimblett.

While Gimblett will retain his record as having scored the most first-class runs for Somerset, Trescothick boasts the most first-class centuries, with 52, and the most List A runs, with 7,374.

In first-class cricket, he has scored 19,654 runs for the county, at an average of 41.11, and holds the record for the number of catches with 445.

Somerset have announced that Marcus Trescothick will retire from professional cricket at the end of the season, after over 26 years of first-class cricket.

What a career! pic.twitter.com/7SqDjuHBO4

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 27, 2019

His international career began with a one-day international against Zimbabwe in 2000 and he went on to score 5,825 Test runs at an average of 43.79, along with 4,335 one-day runs for England at 37.37.

As a member of the 2005 Ashes-winning team, he was awarded the MBE. He played in the 2003 World Cup and established himself as one of the most feared opening batsmen in the game.

Named Somerset captain in 2010, having helped the club win the 2001 C&> Trophy and the 2005 Twenty20 Cup, Trescothick led the team for the next six seasons.

Announcing his forthcoming retirement, he said: "The club, the members and the supporters mean so much to me. There are so many memories that I will cherish forever and Somerset will always hold a truly special place in my heart.

"Twenty seven years is a long time, but it's gone incredibly quickly. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to do something that I love for that length of time and I'm extremely grateful for all the support that I've received throughout this remarkable journey."

Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry said: "Marcus Trescothick is one of the finest players that this country has ever produced and his record on the field of play speaks for itself.

"His passion and enthusiasm for the game of cricket is infectious, and his work ethic is phenomenal. He is the absolute personification of what a professional sportsman should aspire to be.

"Whilst his playing record is there for all to see, what you can't measure is the positive influence that he has behind the scenes. He leads by example in everything that he does, and the way that he goes about his business is second to none."

Trescothick plans a future in coaching and media work. He is a Mental Health Ambassador for the Professional Cricketers Association and has taken a leading role in helping fellow players fight the sort of illness which cut short his international career.