DONNCHA O’Callaghan admitted he could not see himself working as a coach at the highest level once he hangs up his boots.

However the veteran lock revealed he would be “massively interested in” taking on a position where he could nurture young talent.

The 39-year-old will run out for the final time next Saturday when Worcester Warriors take on Harlequins at Sixways in the penultimate game of the Aviva Premiership season (3pm).

After 20 years as a professional player, O’Callaghan has decided to put his family first as he looks spend more time with his four children and wife Jenny in Ireland.

But the ex-Munster star said he would like to stay involved within the game and find an area where he could “add value”.

Coaching is an avenue many former players look to go down when they finish their playing careers.

But O’Callaghan who has won two Heineken Cups with Munster, clinched a Grand Slam with Ireland and been on two British and Irish Lions tours insisted it was not for him.

“I don’t think it is a role for me,” O’Callaghan said.

“I don’t know how coaches do it as it’s incredibly difficult.

“If you go into any top-end club you notice that the guys that work the hardest are the coaches.

“The game changes so quickly that they are constantly needing to upskill and get better.

"I am not afraid of working like that.

“But I just feel that over the last few years I have given all of myself to rugby and I need to prioritise my family.”

O’Callaghan is widely regarded as a legend in Ireland as he claimed 94 caps for his country and made 268 appearances for Munster over 17 seasons.

But the influential second row who joined Warriors in 2015 and was appointed club captain ahead of this term stressed he could not rely on his name alone to secure him a job within rugby.

“You can never say never in terms of being involved in the game,” he said.

“I would have to find the area that I would add value to and you would need to upskill to make sure you can do that.

“Working with younger guys and helping to harness the incredible talent that’s around is something that I am massively interested in doing.

“I remember being exposed to influential people like Jim Williams and John Langford when I was younger. They actually gave you a template on how to conduct yourself and how to look after yourself.”

Asked whether he would consider working within an academy, O’Callaghan said: “That’s an area I would like (to get involved in).

“But your name is not enough.

“You have to be upskilled and make sure you are adding value in that role.

“I would hate to go into a position where I didn’t help people get better and challenge them.

“I definitely think that working with that (younger) age group is something that I would massively be excited about because you are a sponge at that age.”