Mike Hayward: Northampton Saints hooker to retire at end of season

Mike Haywood has scored 34 tries in 13 seasons with Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints hooker Mike Haywood has announced that he will retire at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old suffered a serious knee injury in 2018, during his 200th Saints appearance, which threatened to end his career prematurely.

However Haywood recovered from that setback to win the Premiership Cup with Saints the following season.

He has scored 34 tries for Saints in close to 269 appearances and was their top try-scorer in the 2016-17 season.

"It's been an amazing journey for me with Saints," Haywood told the club's website.

"It's hard to put into words how lucky I feel and how grateful I am to have had this experience at the club."

Born in Southend and a product of the Saints youth academy, Haywood broke into the senior ranks in 2011.

He was part of the team that won the Premiership and European Challenge Cup finals in 2014, and was named in the Premiership dream team in 2016.

Haywood will next take up a coaching position at St Joseph's College in Ipswich.