England captain Dylan Hartley has hit back at "so-called experts" who have cast doubt on his future by vowing "unfortunately for some I'll be back next season".
The Northampton Saints hooker will miss the rest of the season and England's tour of South Africa in June due to concussion sustained during the Six Nations.
Hartley was advised to take an extended period of rest, but insisted he is not finished yet and took aim at those who have suggested otherwise.
The England skipper posted a picture of himself on Instagram and wrote: "Believe it or not this is a photo of me singing and not what is rumoured to be a fat lady (difficult to tell apart I know).
"I see there's a lot of so-called experts out there in newspapers, pubs and podcasts recommending what I do with my career.
"Funnily enough I'm only listening to the medical professionals and myself.
"Fortunately/unfortunately for some I'll be back next season to help my respective teams push on.
"Thank you for your support."
