Hignett was the first player to score at Middlesbrough's new ground, the Riverside Stadium and also won two promotions to the Premier League with the club.
Born in Whiston and previously a trainee at Liverpool, Hignett began his senior career with Crewe Alexandra in 1988, making his debut in a goal-less Fourth Division match at Wrexham on 8 October 1988.
He had however made sure of a place in the club's history by scoring the first goal at the Riverside Stadium, their new ground, in a 2–0 win over Chelsea at the start of 1995–96 Season.
[8] Hignett also took a pay cut to stay at the club at one point, in stark contrast to the many big-name signings Middlesbrough were bringing in at the time.
He helped Rovers regain their Premiership status and won a League Cup winners medal when Blackburn beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 in the 2002 final, with Hignett coming off the bench in the 77th minute.
In 2003, he signed for Leicester City but struggled to get in the side, making only 15 appearances before going on loan back to Crewe Alexandra at the end of the 2003–04 season and playing another 15 games.
[17] Hignett had a successful stint at Hartlepool, helping to lead the club to 9th before leaving for Middlesbrough in March 2014 to work as Aitor Karanka's assistant.
"[20] Hignett was widely praised for having a hugely influential role in the upturns of Boro's fortunes, which had seen them challenging for promotion that season.
[citation needed] In February 2016, Hignett was appointed first-team manager of Hartlepool United following the departure of Ronnie Moore.
[22] Hignett's arrival saw an upturn in form and an unbeaten run of seven games in March[18] saw Hartlepool rise from 22nd to a respectable finishing position of 16th in League Two.
October was an especially disappointing month for the team, surrendering seven points from winning positions, the most notable of which being throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 3–2 defeat at Barnet.
[25] Following the dismissal of Matthew Bates in November 2018, Hignett took temporary charge of the first team in addition to his role as director of football.
[26] Although Richard Money took charge in December 2018, he was later moved to a senior position before departing and Hignett was reinstated as first-team manager on 23 January 2019.
[30] In June 2013, Craig Hignett joined former footballer Colin Cooper and Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling and 12 other intrepid explorers to climb the 5,895m summit of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise vital cash for the Finlay Cooper Fund in aid of children's charities.