Jamie Acton hangs up his boots after spinal surgery

Former Leigh forward Jamie Acton has decided to retire from professional rugby league at the age of 27.

The front-rower came through the academy ranks at Wigan, enjoying loan spells at South Wales and Oldham before joining Workington on a permanent deal in 2013.

Acton spent five seasons at Leigh between 2014-18, scoring 17 tries in 95 appearances for the club. He joined Swinton ahead of 2019 but has decided to retire after undergoing surgery on a serious spinal injury.

He acknowledged: “Rather than being upset, I feel incredibly grateful for the experiences I’ve had and the friends I’ve made along the way.

“Cuts, bans, the emotional rollercoasters and all the hard work – I still wouldn’t change a thing. The whole combination of experiences has definitely help mould me into who I am today.

“My dream as a kid was always to play professional rugby so it’s the first goal ticked off the list.

“I didn’t everything I wanted or finish on my terms and it’s frustrating as I felt my best rugby was still ahead of me but I’m not sure that many players ever finish in the way they would have liked, so I’d rather take the lessons I’ve learnt from the time I’ve had playing and enjoy the memories and friendships I can keep forever.”

Acton made 128 career appearances, scoring 20 tries.

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