Michael Vaughan is confident he will see England regain the Ashes this summer after today formally announcing his retirement from all cricket.

Vaughan, the man who led his country to an unforgettable series victory over Australia in 2005, has played his last game for Yorkshire, as well as England, and will now weigh up his options while others reflect on a career which saw him create a record by winning 26 of 51 Tests in which he was captain.

But, whatever else he does for the rest of the season, the 34-year-old is determined to be a cheerleader and he believes England cricket fans could have plenty to shout about.

“I want us to be successful and I want to be at The Oval in August, cheering them on like all the other supporters and celebrating a great Ashes victory,” said Vaughan, who has spent the early part of this season trying — but failing — to force himself back into international contention.

“I wish the team all the best in the Ashes. It's going to be a great series, and one which we can win.

“We always play some decent cricket at home, and I like the job Andy Flower and Andy Strauss are doing in building this unit. And I'm enjoying the fact we have bowling options, and wicket-taking options as well. If you can take 20 wickets you can win a Test, and I think we have 20 in the tank.”

Vaughan's decision to retire now, rather than hanging on and hoping for a few more months, means that speculation about whether he could return to the team at some stage this summer in now at an end. And, clearly, that was part of his thinking. But he admitted that waning enthusiasm was the main reason behind his announcement.

“Playing cricket has been my life for 16 or 17 years but I know it's the right decision,” he said today. “I always say in the dressing room that senior players have to be the most enthusiastic and I felt I wasn't passing on that enthusiasm to the younger Yorkshire players. I knew I had to move over.”

Vaughan was speaking at Edgbaston — scene of his last Test appearance; a defeat by South Africa, 11 months ago — and looked as though he might shed a tear at one stage. But there was to be no repeat of his emotional performance when he gave up the captaincy last August and, before the end of today's media conference, he talked about a feeling of release.

“It's been a tough decision but it came two weeks ago when I was playing for Yorkshire at Worcester,” he said. “I started to realise there are younger players, around the Yorkshire team and England team, who need to be given a chance to move the game forward.

“I've given it my best shot. I wanted to give it one last effort to get into the Ashes squad and play Australia for one more time but I haven't been playing well enough and in some instances my body has not been reacting the way I would like.

“But I'm not frustrated at all. I do think there are better players out there and I also had this feeling of standing at mid-off at Scarborough when the Ashes were on and my mind would be on watching the Ashes. You have to be committed to the team, whoever you are playing for, and I want to watch the Ashes and see the team to do well. I'm sure they will.”

Vaughan has been fighting a career-threatening knee injury for four years but he has never lost his sense of humour, as he showed today.

“Two weeks ago, in the garden, my lad Archie bowled a ball that hit a weed and knocked my off stump out of the ground,” Vaughan said. “If a three-year-old is bowling me out, then it's time to move over.”

Vaughan claims he has had no job offers to date, apart from one to carry the bag of his golf professional friend Lee Westwood in Scotland next week. But a broadcasting career has to be on the cards, sooner of later.