‘Memories to last a lifetime’: Stalwart Jermaine McGillvary’s Huddersfield Giants exit confirmed as club pay tribute to veteran winger

Huddersfield Giants have tonight confirmed that veteran winger Jermaine McGillvary will depart the club following Friday night’s home clash with Warrington Wolves, bringing an end to a 16-year stay.

The ex-England international is off-contract, and Giants boss Ian Watson admitted his future remained unclear earlier this month with the 35-year-old not a regular starter this year with competition for spots high and injuries plaguing McGillvary.

He’s still managed to cross for six tries in his 12 appearances so far this year, including a brace in Huddersfield’s 52-20 win at Hull FC last weekend.

Earlier in the month, he also crossed against Hull KR, bringing up his 250th career try, a fitting way to round off his time with his hometown club.

‘Memories to last a lifetime’: Huddersfield Giants pay tribute to departing stalwart Jermaine McGillvary

West Yorkshireman McGillvary lived close to the John Smith’s Stadium in his youth, coming through the ranks at the club’s academy and penning a first professional deal back in 2007.

Skip forward 16 years, and he now bows out a true club legend, with over 300 Giants appearances to his name. The club paid tribute to him on their website with a look back over his career.

The speedster had to wait until June 2010 for his Huddersfield debut, scoring two tries on debut against Bradford Bulls after two years on loan in the Championship with Batley Bulldogs and Barrow Raiders.

Ending that 2010 campaign with seven tries in five games, he picked up the Albert Goldthorpe Rookie of the Year medal the following year, that his real breakthrough, rewarded with a five-year contract.

2013 saw the flier help the Giants to the League Leaders’ Shield, while in 2015 he finished as Super League’s top try scorer to earn a place in the Dream Team and an England call-up, debuting against New Zealand.

Notably, McGillvary also featured for the Three Lions at the 2017 World Cup, going all the way to the final and only being beaten 6-0 by Australia. The Giants ace scored seven tries in that tournament.

More recently, he crossed the whitewash in last year’s Challenge Cup final against Wigan Warriors, and now takes his place alongside Michael Lawrence, Leroy Cudjoe and Eorl Crabtree as modern Giants legends, as described by the club themselves.

The final line of their statement this evening read: “Thank you, Jermaine McGillvary, a true Huddersfield Giant.”

Other Huddersfield contract news

Earlier on today, another departure was confirmed by the Giants in the shape of Chris McQueen, who will be retiring after Friday night’s game to bring the curtain down on a memorable career.

The big forward will turn 37 in August, and leaves West Yorkshire after a four-year stint in Super League having joined back in 2020.

One-time England international McQueen won the Lance Todd Trophy for a Man of the Match performance in last year’s Challenge Cup final, despite defeat.

We took a look at the five best moments of his career earlier today, with that sole England cap against Samoa for the Brisbane-born star back in 2017 included.

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