Sculthorpe began his career at Warrington, but - still a teenager - he moved to St Helens for a world record fee of �370,000 in 1997

Sculthorpe's talents saw him quickly called up into the international set-up, making his Great Britain debut as a 19-year-old in 1996

Sculthorpe was becoming a major presence in Saints' star-studded side, helping them to victory in the 2001 Challenge Cup

Sculthorpe was a key player for Great Britain as they fought to overcome their rivals Australia over the course of the 2001 series

But Sculthorpe and his team-mates had to settle for isolated Test wins as Australia maintained their stranglehold on the Ashes

The trophies kept coming on the domestic front though, as St Helens claimed the 2004 Challenge Cup with a win over Wigan

Sculthorpe was the automatic choice to take over as Great Britain captain after Andy Farrell's switch to rugby union

But the injuries were beginning to mount as Sculthorpe's full-blooded approach began to cost him

Sculthorpe was still a key player for Saints when fit, helping his side to the 2006 Challenge Cup, beating Huddersfield

Sculthorpe returned from a knee reconstruction to play an inspirational role in Saints' 2007 World Club Challenge win

But he was reduced to a bit-part player in his final two seasons with Saints as the injuries finally caught up with him

But his retirement will not overshadow Sculthorpe's status as one of the true greats of the modern game