Andy Halliday has today announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2025/26 season.
The 34-year-old has taken the decision to retire from playing as he begins the next chapter of his life.
“I feel that time is right for me to step away from the playing side of the sport I adore,” Andy Halliday said.
“There have been some ups and downs along the way, but when I look back on my career, I have zero regrets. So many players may not get to experience some of the things I’ve managed over the years, and for that, I’m grateful.
“Being a footballer isn’t easy. It’s required a lot of sacrifice over the years, which is all part of what I signed up for, but for my loved ones, I owe them my deepest thank you. I simply wouldn’t have been able to get to where I got to without them. Their support has been incredible on this journey, and I don’t know what I would have done without them all.
“I want to thank my teammates and staff at Livingston, Middlesbrough, Walsall, Blackpool, Bradford City, Rangers, Hearts and Motherwell for being a part of my journey. I’ve met some friends for life through this sport, and at every club I hold the fondest of memories that will stick with me. Thank you.
“Despite this announcement and my appreciation for all the kind messages I’ve received recently, I don’t want any distractions for the boys as they look to finish this incredible season on a high. We’re all desperate to close out as strongly as possible and gather as many points as we can, starting tomorrow against Hearts. Thank you to the Motherwell fans for their support all season long, and let’s get stuck into these last three games.”
A professional career that spanned 18 years, Halliday burst onto the scene with Livingston in Division 1, making his debut in April 2008 against St Johnstone.
Following his debut, Halliday continued to impress in his early years for the Lions and scored his first professional goal in a 2-2 draw with Ross County in May 2009.
His big breakthrough year came in 2009/10 when Livingston were playing in Division 3. Playing 34 games, he scored 14 goals as an 18-year-old, and his dazzling displays caught the eye of many clubs. Middlesbrough would be his chosen destination, where he would spend five years, making 42 appearances in total.
At the Riverside, Halliday enjoyed three loan spells at Walsall, Blackpool and, latterly, Bradford City. His loan at the Valley Parade was made permanent at the midway stage of the season, and Halliday ended up scoring against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a memorable 4-2 win in the FA Cup which saw his side go on a fairytale run to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Having made 32 appearances in his time with Bradford, Halliday opted to move back home to join Rangers in 2015, with the Gers looking to seal their place back in the top flight for the first time since 2012 at the second time of asking. His start at Rangers couldn’t have been any sweeter as he netted on his debut against Hibernian at Easter Road, with his side winning 6-2.
Rangers went on to lift the Scottish Championship title and thus were promoted back to the Premiership in what was a lively season that saw the Ibrox side defeat their rivals Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup before losing in the final to a last-minute header against Hibernian.
In his five-year stint in Govan, Halliday represented Rangers over 150 times and scored 18 goals. A brief spell in Azerbaijan in 2017 was the only short time he spent away from Ibrox during that time. The Covid-19 pandemic struck, and Halliday departed the club in May 2020 to travel along the M8 to sign for Hearts, who had just been relegated.
He lifted the Scottish Championship for the second time in his career at Tynecastle, with Hearts earning promotion back to Scotland’s elite at the first time of asking. Halliday played over 100 games for the Jambos during his two-and-a-half year stay in Edinburgh, as he helped his side finish third and fourth in the Scottish Premiership to secure European football.
In January 2024, Halliday arrived in ML1 seeking regular minutes on an initial loan deal with Stuart Kettlewell’s squad. He scored his first goal for the Steelmen in a 5-0 rout against Ross County at Fir Park and played 14 games between January and the end of the season.
His contract was made permanent in the summer of 2024, and Halliday would go on to win the Players’ Player of the Year vote for the 2024/25 season for his consistency and availability throughout the season. Halliday wouldn’t miss a game for the entirety of the season, playing 46 matches across the campaign, 42 of which were starts.
He may not have featured as heavily under Jens Berthel Askou this season, but Halliday was named as vice-captain by the Motherwell manager for the 2025/26 season, citing his experience and leadership qualities as his reason why he chose Halliday in his leadership group.
Ahead of the match against his former side Hearts tomorrow night at Fir Park, both clubs will come together to present Halliday with some gifts to thank him for his service to both clubs.
From now until the end of the season, Halliday will continue to train and continue to be available for selection, and when the time comes, we congratulate Andy for an exceptional playing career and wish him well in his future.
