Higham comes out of retirement to play again for Leigh

Leigh have signed Micky Higham on a one-year deal – just a month after he hung up his boots.

Higham, 37, announced his decision to retire at the end of last season and bowed out after the pre-season game against Wigan in January.

But following injuries to hookers Daniel Mortimer and Kurt Baptiste, he will play again for the Centurions.

He said: “It all seems a little bit surreal. When Kieron asked me to look at the possibility of coming back as a player I was really excited and I got butterflies in my stomach.

“I felt like I did when I first signed professional forms for Leigh as a teenager and I thought that if I still got that feeling then the desire was still there.

“I’ve made no secret that I never wanted to retire and two or three clubs had enquired about my services but I turned them down. I said to Derek and Kieron today that I wasn’t holding out for Leigh but something was burning inside me that told me an opportunity may come up.

“It’s not an easy time for the Club at the moment but people who know me know how much Leigh means to me. I care deeply about the place and the last time I played in a competitive match I was in floods of tears after relegation.

“We’ve had a poor start to the season and it’s not good enough for the standards we set and the crowds we get. Rugby League in Leigh means such a lot to a lot of people and hopefully by coming back I’ll be able to influence things on and off the field and demonstrate to the players here that they are at a great club.”

Higham will wear squad number 30 and goes straight in to contention for Sunday’s Championship match at home to Featherstone.

He has previously played 113 times for Leigh in two spells, as well as representing St Helens, Wigan and Warrington during his playing career.

Since hanging up his boots, Higham has been working for the Leigh Community Trust as well as a coaching role on match days.