FORMER Saints hooker Micky Higham has called time on an illustrious 19-year playing career.

The 37-year-old made more than 500 appearances after making his debut for Leigh in 1999, also enjoying successful spells with Wigan and Warrington before returning to his hometown club in 2015.

His final appearance came in the Million Pound Game as the Centurions dropped out of Super League following their defeat by Catalans Dragons.

Higham will remain with Leigh in an off-field role and has been given the opportunity to bid farewell to the club's fans in a pre-season friendly in January.

"I started my rugby league journey at Leigh as a teenager and to go full circle and come back to finish my playing career at the club meant everything to me," said Higham, who made four appearances for both Great Britain and England.

Higham joined Saints from Leigh at the end of 2000, scoring 35 tries in 116 appearances.

He was noted for his sharp bursts from dummy half, which always found gaps in a retreating defence, and complemented nicely the play of Keiron Cunningham.

The energetic hooker came off the bench in the 2002 Grand Final win over Bradford, but injury robbed him of a chance to appear in the 2004 Challenge Cup Final.

Higham's form was so good that he earned a Great Britain call-up while at Saints.

The emergence of James Roby as Cunningham's understudy, meant Higham was allowed to leave for Wigan, via Bradford, at the end of the 2005 season.

Honours eluded him there, but Higham was not done yet and went on to win three Challenge Cups with Warrington before rejoining his home town team and guiding them back briefly to the top flight.