Craig Hignett

Craig Hignett

Personal information
Date of birth	12 January 1970 (1970-01-12) (age 41)
Place of birth	Whiston, Merseyside, England
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Midfielder, Striker (retired)
Youth career
1986–1988	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1992	Crewe Alexandra	121	(42)
1992–1998	Middlesbrough	155	(33)
1998	Aberdeen	13	(2)
1998–2000	Barnsley	66	(28)
2000–2003	Blackburn Rovers	53	(8)
2002	→ Coventry City (loan)	8	(2)
2003–2004	Leicester City	13	(1)
2004	→ Crewe Alexandra (loan)	15	(0)
2004	Leeds United	0	(0)
2004–2005	Darlington	19	(9)
2005–2006	Apollon Limassol	0	(0)
2006–2007	Spennymoor United	0	(0)
2007	Hartlepool United	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Craig Hignett, (born 12 January 1970 in Whiston), is an English former professional footballer who now works as an agent and a commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live. He started his career as a striker but later moved into midfield.

Football career

After attending school at Page Moss secondary, now known as Bowring Community Sports College, in Huyton, Hignett started his career in the youth team at Liverpool before moving to Crewe Alexandra in 1988, making his debut on 8 October 1988 against Wrexham.

In his first spell with Crewe he made 150 appearances and scored 57 goals, helping them to promotion from the old division four in the 1988–89 season and to the play-offs in the 1991–92 season—his last season at Gresty Road—before moving to the Premier League with Middlesbrough in November 1992.

After the club were relegated in his first season with Middlesbrough, he helped them back up two seasons later. In 1996–97 Hignett again suffered relegation with Middlesbrough and was part of the team that lost in the FA Cup final and League Cup final the same season. He had however made sure of a place in the club's history by scoring the first goal at the Riverside Stadium, their new ground, in a 2–0 win over Chelsea at the start of 1995–96 Season.^[1]

Hignett also famously took a pay cut in order to stay at the club at one point, in stark contrast to the many big-name signings Middlesbrough were bringing in at the time.^[1] In 1998 he left Middlesbrough to sign for Aberdeen on a free transfer, having made 194 appearances and 48 goals for Boro. His stay at Aberdeen was short lived, only lasting six months, before signing for Barnsley for £800,000 in 1999.

After suffering relegation from the Premiership, Barnsley were looking for a quick return to the top flight and Hignett's 20 goals in his second season at Oakwell helped them reach the play-off final of the 1999–2000 season. Hignett scored once in the final but Barnsley lost 4–2 to Ipswich Town.

Hignett finally left Barnsley in 2000 after 66 appearances and 35 goals for the club; he signed for Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £2.2. million. He helped Rovers regain their Premiership status and won a League Cup winners medal in 2002 when Blackburn beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 in the final, with Hignett coming off the bench.

However, in the 2002–03 season he only played three league games and one UEFA Cup game; Hignett was sent on loan to Coventry City halfway through the season. After returning, he scored on the final day of the season which was to prove to be his last appearance for Blackburn Rovers. He played 68 times and scored 14 goals for Rovers before being released.

In 2003 he signed for Leicester City but struggled to get in the side, making only 15 appearances before going on loan back to Crewe Alexandra at the end of the 2003–04 season and playing another 15 games. He only scored once during his time at Leicester but it was a memorable goal: a crucial injury time equaliser against Arsenal.^[2]

In 2004 he had a brief stint at Leeds United before signing for Darlington, where he scored on his debut. He then moved to Cyprus to apparently end his professional playing days with Apollon Limassol.

In late August 2006, Hignett signed for Arngrove Northern League Two side Spennymoor United on a part-time contract. He made an impressive debut for Spennymoor, scoring in a 3–1 win over title challengers, South Shields. Hignett played his second game in an FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying game against Northern Premier League Division One South side Goole A.F.C.. Hignett made limited appearances for Spennymoor due to other commitments.

On 22 March 2007, Hartlepool United signed Hignett on a short-term contract. Hignett had been training with the club and had taken part in Reserve Team fixtures prior to signing up permanently.^[3] He left the club in May 2007.

He has recently starred in Sky1's Premier League All Stars, in which he helped Middlesbrough beat Newcastle, and represented England in the 2009 Home Nations Masters Cup despite having not won a full international cap. As of April 2008 he was part of the Academy coaching staff at Middlesbrough. He was linked with the Darlington job after Colin Todd was sacked, he was again rumoured after Steve Staunton was sacked.^[4]

Honours

Middlesbrough

• FA Cup runner-up: 1996-97
• League Cup runner-up: 1996-97

Blackburn Rovers

• League Cup winner: 2002

References

1. ^ ^{a b} ,Northern Echo - Interview with Craig Hignett, 02/10/04, Accessed 26/01/07
2. ^ "Hignett denies Arsenal late on". BBC. 4 December 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3247508.stm. Retrieved 29 December 2009. 
3. ^ Official Hartlepool United Site article on signing of Craig Hignett, 22/03/07, Accessed 22/03/07
4. ^ "MATCH PACK: Bolton Wanderers". mfc.co.uk. 2008-04-18. http://www.mfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,1~1292398,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-18. 

External links

• Craig Hignett career stats at Soccerbase

Persondata
Name	Hignett, Craig
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	12 January 1970
Place of birth	Whiston, Merseyside, England
Date of death
Place of death