SAINTS head coach Keiron Cunningham paid a glowing tribute to full back Paul Wellens, describing him as one of “the greatest” after the former skipper announced his retirement as a player this morning.

Like Cunningham, Wellens is a one-club man and has played 18 seasons at the top flight since making his debut as a teenager in 1998.

The Saints boss declared that there would be a job for Wellens at the club once he had undergone and recuperated from the hip surgery that he needs.

Cunningham said: “Words can’t explain how good Paul Wellens has been for St Helens.

“If anything I would have to put together a highlight reel – but I would not have enough time because it would be hours and hours to show how good he has been for the club.

“It is not just how he plays, but how he handles himself.

“I don’t say it lightly, but he is one of the greatest players ever to pull a Saints jersey on. I will always stick by that.

“What he has done for this club and where he has played just epitomises St Helens rugby league.”

Wellens, who famously led Saints’ against the odds Grand Final triumph at Old Trafford, has not featured since hobbling off at Wigan on Good Friday.

Although he has gamely sought to have treatment to allow him to finish the season, that has proved fruitless and Wellens now needs more invasive surgery to cure the hip problem he has endured since last July.

He will leave a hole, but Cunningham says that Wellens must now move on to the next challenge.

“Wello is going to be a major loss and he is going to be sadly missed,” he said.

“He is hobbling around on one leg and still convincing himself that he wants to do a job for this team, but I am almost having to twist his arm up his back and say ‘the dream is over’ and you have to think about the next chapter of your life.

“When you have young families you have to worry about that next phase, as hard as it is to put down the St Helens baby for a little bit and pick up your own kids and move on with your own life, but it is difficult.

“You never think the legacy is going to end. Paul Wellens is an absolute champion of a player and although the word legend gets chucked about a little bit too much, but if you look at a definition of the word in the dictionary there will be a picture of Paul Wellens there.

“He is a true great who epitomises what we want to be as a club and what we want our juniors to be. I am sure he will have lots of involvement in the club going forward.”

Although no specific job title has been given to him yet, Wellens will be working with the club’s juniors under the existing leadership.

It is a role Cunningham believes is tailor-made for the man who has experienced every face of life as a rugby league player at St Helens.

Cunningham said: “A lot of this year going to be rehab because he is going to need surgery and get some quality of life but once he gets through that period he will end up in our office or working with juniors.

“You can’t let someone like that – of that influence or greatness ¬– slip through the net. You want him to influence juniors for the next 20 or 30 years.

“You can’t have too many people who have won trophies and been successful, with that work ethic and mentality around the club.

“We already have Gardsy (Ade Gardner) working with the juniors now and he has been phenomenal. He has been one of my best signings.

“The juniors have responded if you look how strong they look, so Wello can influence things in the future too, just like Gardsy.”

As a final tribute to the man who bows out on a phenomenal 495 appearances in the red vee, Cunningham said: “Last year had a great end of the year and went on and lifted the trophy.

“Wello got everything he deserved at the end of last year. It has not been fair this year, a great of that stature deserved better this season but the rugby gods have tapped him on the shoulder and said your time is up.

“I feel for him because it’s not on his terms but he is going to be remembered as St Helens great.”