NRL great Greg Inglis has entered a rehabilitation centre as he struggles to cope with life after rugby league.

The Rabbitohs on Friday confirmed South Sydney’s 2014 premiership-winning captain had entered a facility to undergo treatment to assist and support his mental health.

“On behalf of Greg and his family, we ask the media and the public to respect their privacy,” the club said in a statement.

The 32-year-old former State of Origin and Test superstar played only two games this season before being forced into retirement by persistent injuries.

Friday’s announcement comes just a few weeks after Inglis announced his immediate retirement from rugby league.

He took up a wide-ranging role with Souths, helping the team as an assistant coach and also working with the club’s commercial division and charity arm Souths Cares.

But missing out on the weekly grind of an NRL season alongside his teammates has reportedly hit Inglis hard.

Souths coach Wayne Bennett, a strong supporter of Inglis’s decision to hang up the boots, said the retired skipper’s ex-teammates were rallying around the troubled star.

“The best thing I say about Greg is that he’s getting the support that he needs,” Bennett said.

“That’s as much as I want to talk about it, elaborate on it. But that’s the situation.”

Inglis set the tone for his glittering career by scoring a try in his NRL debut for Melbourne Storm in 2005, and went on to play 263 top grade games for that club and South Sydney.

He also scored in 18 State of Origin tries in 32 matches for Queensland, and played 39 Tests for Australia.

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-with AAP