Mickey Higham

Mickey Higham
Higham while playing for Wigan in 2007
Personal information
Full name Michael Higham
Born (1980-09-18) 18 September 1980
Billinge Higher End, Wigan, England, UK
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight 13 st 8 lb (86 kg) [1]
Playing information
Position hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1999–00 Leigh Centurions
2001–05 St Helens 116 35 0 0 140
2006–08 Wigan Warriors 97 17 0 0 68
2009–15 Warrington Wolves 174 37 1 0 150
2015– Leigh Centurions 18 5 0 0 20
Total 405 94 1 0 378
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–05 Great Britain 4 0 0 0 0
2008–09 England 4 1 0 0 4
As of 19 May 2015
Source: RLP

Mickey Higham (born 18 September 1980) is an English rugby league player who currently plays for English club Leigh. His usual position is hooker.

Playing career

Higham joined St Helens from Leigh in November 2000 after scoring 22 tries in Division One and a man-of-the-match display in the Grand Final.[2] Higham played for St Helens from the interchange bench in their 2002 Super League Grand Final victory against Bradford. Having won Super League VI, St Helens contested the 2003 World Club Challenge against 2002 NRL Premiers, Sydney Roosters. Higham played from the interchange bench in Saints' 38–0 loss. He made his Great Britain debut in the 2004 Gillette Tri-Nations against New Zealand, after recovering from an ankle injury which ruled him out of most of 2004's Super League IX. He'd made over 100 appearances for St Helens, scoring 33 tries.

Higham joined Wigan in October 2005 after a transfer deal involving three clubs, and fellow hooker Terry Newton. Higham was unable to join Wigan directly as his club, St Helens, would not sell. However, Bradford stepped in and bought Higham from Saints for £70,000 and then immediately released him to Wigan. In exchange, Wigan allowed Terry Newton to join Bradford. Higham signed a three-year deal with Wigan and commented: "It looked at one stage as though I would be playing next season at Bradford but when the opportunity to join Wigan came up at the last minute I jumped at it." At Wigan, Higham again teamed up with coach Ian Millward who he had played under at both Leigh and St Helens. Ian was however sacked by Wigan in April 2006 and Mickey, ironically, was coached by Brian Noble who was Bradford coach at the time of the "three-club transfer". Higham's contract at Wigan was not renewed, and he subsequently signed for Warrington on a two-year deal.

In September 2008 he was named in the England training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup,[3] and in October 2008 he was named in the final 24-man England squad.[4] He was named in the England team to face Wales at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, prior to England's departure for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[5] He made his England début in the victory over Wales on 10 October 2008.[6]

Higham played for Warrington in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final victory over Leeds.[7]

Higham then returned to his first club Leigh for £50,000 on 20 May 2015,.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "BBC Sport, Rugby League Brian Carney's Warrington player profiles". web page (BBC). 28 August 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Tri-Nations: Great Britain profiles". Daily Mail (London). 19 October 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "Myler gets England call". England Rugby League. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  4. ↑ "Purdham earns World Cup call-up". BBC. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  5. ↑ "Gleeson to lead new-look England". BBC. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  6. ↑ "England warm up in style". Sky Sports. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
  7. ↑ Scott, Ged (28 August 2010). "Leeds 6–30 Warrington". BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  8. ↑ Taylor, Mark (20 May 2015). "Higham signs for Leigh Centurions". Leigh Reporter. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

External links

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