Jermaine McGillvary reveals links with Wigan in move he ‘should have made’ as star reflects on career

The 36-year-old will hang up the boots at the end of the Championship campaign with Wakefield Trinity, completing 17 seasons as a professional with more than 350 career appearances.

Speaking to BBC Sport West Yorkshire, the legendary winger, with 21 caps for England and Great Britain, admitted he should have made a move to the newly-named the Brick Community Stadium as a youngster, instead remaining loyal with hometown club Huddersfield Giants.

He went on to become a vital member at the John Smith’s Stadium, winning the League Leaders’ Shield in 2013 and named in the Super League Dream Team in 2015.

The winger also featured in the 2022 Challenge Cup Final defeat to Matt Peet’s Warriors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as the heartbreaking 2017 World Cup Final defeat to Australia on the international stage with England.

Departing the Giants at the end of last season, he linked up with Daryl Powell’s Wakefield for their 2024 Championship campaign, finishing top of the table and hoping to reclaim their spot in the top division under IMG.

But McGillvary has confirmed that he will retire at the end of the year, and when asked by presenter James Deighton if he got out of his career all that he wanted to, McGillvary replied: “Probably not. But I don’t have too many regrets.

“There were probably a couple of moves I should have made when I was younger – but that’s all hindsight.

“Maybe with what happened to me at the back end, I should have done that. And I definitely would have won something, as it was one of the big clubs; Wigan. They were the club I should have joined when I was younger.

“But it’s all hindsight now. I’ve enjoyed my time and all my team-mates throughout different eras at Huddersfield, and this set of mad men at Wakefield.

“I’ve enjoyed it.”