Jonny Wilkinson fears the 2003 World Cup will be the pinnacle of his career.
Jonny Wilkinson has admitted that while winning the World Cup was a defining moment in his career, it is a memory that has haunted him over the past two years that have been blighted by injury.The Newcastle fly-half has been plagued by a series of injuries since starring in the 2003 World Cup final in Australia and though he has gradually learned to cope with his time on the sidelines, there is still a feeling that he has lot to prove on the field.
"The strange thing is, looking back at the World Cup, I think of this 24-year-old leaving Australia with a conviction that I would not allow the 2003 final to be the one thing I would be remembered for. And that's haunted me a little because it seemed to be happening," he said.
"I never want to end up as a 'what could have been' person. The problem with me is I always think I should have done better.
"I felt that after the World Cup final and the same goes for my whole career. But it's the only way to go about this job and life itself. I want to feel I've done absolutely all I can to move forward in my life."
Wilkinson's recuperation from neck and knee problems has given him a chance to write a book and also coach a group of young rugby players as part of a new television series.
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper he continued: "I've warmed to the idea that coaching might be one avenue I could eventually explore.
"I could either get involved in elite coaching - working on a one-to-one basis - or taking a group of kids and helping them develop at an age when they soak up everything."
