PAUL DEACON appeared in five consecutive Grand Finals for Bradford but admits running out at Old Trafford for his hometown club Wigan on Saturday will top the lot.

The 31-year-old former Great Britain scrum-half was expected to provide a mentoring role at the Warriors in what was going to be a one-off season in the twilight of his career after deciding to bring to an end a 12-year stint with the Bulls.

Deacon was meant to be cutting his teeth as a coach, as well as providing back-up to regular half-backs Sam Tomkins and Thomas Leuluai, but he has become a key member of a Wigan side that lifted the League Leaders Shield for the first time for 10 years and are 80 minutes away from becoming champions for the first time since 1998. He has nothing but fond memories of his time at Bradford, where he broke the club’s point scoring record and won the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match in the 2002 Grand Final, but admits Saturday will provide one of the highlights of his career.

He said. “It’s unfair to say it means more but it’s different and it’s special.

“I feel very fortunate to have the chance to play for my hometown club in the first place so to get to a Grand Final is the cherry on top.

“Coming to a new club was an experience I’d never been through before and I’ve learned a lot about myself.

“I had to fight for my place in the team and that probably makes it very special for me for those reasons.”

Meanwhile, win or lose on Saturday, Deacon is poised to extend his playing career.

He is coming to the end of the first year of a three-year contract as assistant coach and will sit down next week to put the finishing touches to a new playing deal.

“It’s in the pipeline at the moment,” he said. “I don’t feel ready to hang up the boots, I’m hoping for another year.”