Middlesbrough legend Craig Hignett delivered a rousing speech to Boro players at Rockliffe this week, encouraging them to carry their great early form and lead the club back to the Premier League.
As part of a ceremony at the club’s training base to present new players with their legacy numbers, head coach Rob Edwards invited Higgy to start that day’s pre-training meeting. He asked him to tell the players how much playing for the club meant, with Hignett duly delivering an inspiring speech, reflecting on his time at the club, and the support and love since.
Speaking to the players at Rockliffe, Hignett said: “Rob’s asked me to speak about what it means to play for this football club. I signed for this club when I was 22 in 1992 - a long, long time ago. I played here for nearly seven years and in that time we had two promotions, two relegations, three cup finals and I played with some unbelievable players like Juninho Ravanelli and people like that.
“But when I look back, now that I've finished my career, I realise how much this club has done for me. And not just done for me as a footballer, but after football as well. Everything I did after I left this club was due to what I did at the club. That’s how I still earn a living now out of football. I’m 55 years of age and everything I do now football-wise, is down to what I did here.
“The fans, if you give 100% and show loyalty, they will treat you like one of their own. They have done with me for most of my life. If you achieve something here then you are family for life. Every time you come back to this place, they will treat you like royalty.
“I get it every day of my life because I live up here now in Guisborough. Every day of my life now, even though this football club best part of 25 years ago, they stop me in the street and talk about things back then, and they’ll talk to me about the club now.
“From that, I know what you guys have done so far has given everyone such a buzz and such a lift. I do Middlesbrough College Team and half of them are season ticket holders. They’re buzzing about what they’ve seen in the first four games. You’ve had a great start and it’s been brilliant to watch.
“If you go on and do something this season you will become family. That’s all I can describe it as. Not only that, after I left, I came back and coached the academy for a bit too. I then went on to do more coaching and more managing. And that was all because this club never forgot me.
“When I packed in, the club phoned me straight away offering to have me come in and coach youngsters. Sometimes when you’re young, I’ve been there, you go through things and you feel low. I had two relegations and it wasn’t a nice place to be in. But when you get through that and experience the highs here, there is nothing better.
“It’s a club that absolutely truly embraces you. So I wish you all the best for the rest of the season, starting with Saturday. I’ll certainly be watching. You’ve got the town buzzing. Hopefully by the end of the season they will be unbelievably buzzing.”
Explaining his decision to start that morning’s meeting with the Hignett talk, the Boro boss said: “We’re going to start with something a bit different. I know in some people’s eyes there will be bigger clubs. But this is a wonderful football club, and I want us all to show pride in representing it.
“Something the club has been doing for a year or so now, is presenting players that have represented the club with a legacy number. Because once you’ve played for this football club you become part of the family - the fabric of the club, the DNA of the club. You’re part of the club’s history.
“I want us to have pride in representing the club and to appreciate what it means. That’s why I’ve brought someone in today who really knows what it means to play for this football club. Craig Hignett is someone who means a lot to the supporters and has represented this club a lot of times.”
You can watch the speech's in full on the Boro website, with the seven of the 11 summer signings who've debuted so far then being presented with their legacy numbers.