NEC Harlequins' retiring back-row legend Andre Vos has tipped his team-mates to hit the Guinness Premiership high notes next season.

The 32-year-old joins the ranks of City-based Quins fans when he joins stock- brokers Hichens, Harrison and Co in May, leaving a glittering career behind him.

Saturday's clash with Sale Sharks, his last in the famous quartered jersey, brings mixed emotions for the former skipper, who suffered relegation at the hands of the Lancashire side in 2005.

Vos led the team back to the top flight last season and his commitment to the cause is credited with the club retaining many of its star performers after the drop into National Division One.

Dean Richards' men will secure seventh spot should they overcome the Sharks in front of a sell-out crowd at the Stoop on Saturday, as Kiwi fly-half Andrew Mehrtens also bids farewell to the Quins fans after two seasons.

And former South African captain Vos believes they could go at least one better next season.

"The squad needs strengthening in certain areas and, if Dean Richards can do that, there are exciting times ahead next season," he said.

"I'd love to be able to get down next season as often as I can and support the guys in a successful campaign.

"No one has tried to persuade me to stay because I have made it clear this is the right time for me to go and I'm looking forward to the next challenge.

"There are a lot of exciting youngsters coming through and it is time to stand aside and let them shine. I'll be proud to be able to say I played with the likes of David Strettle and Mike Brown.

"They are the sorts of players who will do extremely well next year and beyond."

Vos will call time on his Quins career two years after being involved in one of the club's darkest days, when a 23-22 defeat saw them drop out of the Premiership.

The 6ft 5in number six, capped 33 times by his country, insists he holds no grudge towards Sale, but admits it will be hard to walk away from the game he has graced for more than a decade.

"In many ways it will be nice to get it behind me and out of the way but, on the other hand, it means I will never play rugby again, which is a heavy thought," he said.

"I can't place too much emphasis on that as it will affect me, so I'll be going out there like it is any other game.

"There are no scores to settle. It was our own fault we got relegated because we got ourselves into that mess before the last game.

"One thing I'm really going to miss is hanging around in the changing room, at the training ground and on the pitch with your mates, so it will be nice to end things on a high in front of our fans and celebrate with a win."