The attacking midfielder joined Boro from Crewe in 1992, in a deal worth £500k, and he formed a formidable partnership with Nick Barmby during Boro's first season at the Riverside, the pair being nicknamed the 'terrible twins'.
Higgy left Boro under a bit of a cloud in 1998 and has since played for Aberdeen, Barnsley, Blackburn, Coventry and Leicester.
He becomes Darlo's first signing since they came out of administration earlier this week. He joins ex-Boro players David Hodgeson (manager) Mark Proctor (ass. manager), Craig Liddle, Neil Maddison, Sam Russell, Brian Close and Curtis Fleming.