Andy Halliday announced that he would be retiring at the end of the current season this week, bringing the curtain down on a magnificent career that has taken him from Livingston to Azerbaijan and seven other clubs north and south of the border.
At 34 years old, the midfielder has accumulated 488 appearances to date, and you would think closing this chapter of his life would be a difficult call to make. But Halliday insists that the time was right to call it quits.
“It honestly wasn’t a particularly difficult decision,” Andy Halliday said.
“I think anytime you’re at a football club, you want to try and make an impact, and I think it’s just got to the stage that my body is telling me that I can’t do that anymore. I must admit, I had the retirement stuff in my head last year just because I had a couple of injuries, and you always want to retire on your own terms.
“Ideally, you want to do it after making a good impact on the club and helping the team out throughout the course of the season, but the fact I played every game last season, I almost felt it would have been a bit daft of me to call it time at that point. So, I decided to stay on for another year.
“But I had a couple of injuries the first season here, and my Achilles has been an issue for a while, but it’s got to a point where, pretty early on in the season, I was just in pain on a daily basis. I could have gone for the operation, but then I’d have been out for three months, and my season would have been basically done, so I just tried to play through it as much as possible.
“It just gets too difficult, and you’re not helping the team on the pitch, and ultimately that’s what you want to do, and you don’t want to be someone who just tries to hang on and prolong your career. Listen, don’t get me wrong, if I were fully fit, it would have been a joy playing in this team because I’ve sat in the same seat as supporters most of the season, and it’s been an absolute pleasure. From the outside looking in, it could be seen as being a disaster season for myself, having played full seasons for the majority of my career, but I’ve still loved it.
“I’ve enjoyed watching how the gaffer operates on a daily basis; I’ve loved watching the style of play the current group of players have implemented, and even though I’m retiring, I’ll probably still get a Motherwell season ticket next season because of the football I’ve watched this season.”
Although life may look slightly different for Andy Halliday this summer onwards, he is content with knowing that football will still play a huge part in his life.
A man who has often said how he struggles to sit and do nothing on the couch, Halliday has established his coaching academy, has completed his coaching badges and has various roles within the Scottish media. Knowing that he will be kept busy, covering the sport he adores in various capacities is a comfort for him.
“At this moment in time, knowing I’ve got so much going on does help,” he explains.
“Don’t get me wrong, there will be points going into the summer and next season where it’ll feel strange not going into training every day, not having a schedule and not having butterflies going for three points at the weekend. So, I’ve no doubt that that time is going to come, but I’m lucky as well.
“I’ve got the best support system around me. My wife has been brilliant with me throughout all my career, really, but she’s known for a while that it’s just been getting too much for me in terms of my body. You have some bad days when you come back from training and you complain that you’re sore, but then you see your daughter smiling. You just realise at those points that there are obviously more important things in your journey.
“I’ve been extremely fortunate to do what I love for such a long period of time. There are so many people sitting in Fir park on a Saturday whose dream growing up was to be a football player, and I’m just one of the lucky ones that managed to make that dream a reality.”
Signed on loan from Hearts initially back in January 2024, Halliday has enjoyed his time spent in ML1. Injury somewhat stalled his early progress in claret and amber, but his first full season at Motherwell is one he’ll remember fondly, having played 46 games across the entire season, featuring in every competitive match.
His consistency and leadership saw him earn the praise from his fellow teammates, picking up the Players’ Player of the Year award. A goal at Hampden in the semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup against Rangers was one of five times he found the back of the net during his time at Fir Park.
Despite the success on the pitch, Halliday has been most impressed by the progress of the club off it and will look back with great fondness on his two-and-a-half year stay.
“I remember speaking when I first signed, and a big part for me was the club had serious ambition to improve,” Halliday reflected.
“And I look back on what have been two and a half seasons, and how far we’ve come in that space of time has been remarkable. And obviously last season was a good season for me personally, and we had some good times on and off the pitch, and this season has been difficult for me personally, but I think anytime you join a football club, you want to leave it in a better place than when you joined, and I think when I hang my boots up at the end of the season, it’s fair to say Motherwell are going places.
“That’s so exciting for me as an avid Scottish football fan. I’ll always appreciate my time here. I’m content with how the football club is moving forward, and I do think they’ll be going on to bigger and better things as well. But I’ve loved it. When I spoke to people before I joined the club, a big thing they spoke about was the dressing room and the community feel about the club, and I look back at that advice before I signed, and it’s been absolutely spot on. I think the fans have been great with me, the players have been unreal, and even though I haven’t been able to contribute this season, the manager and coaching staff have been outstanding.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say, and I just hope they can continue on this trajectory that they’re on. I feel like Motherwell have, almost in the last two years, created a DNA that I hope that they stick with because you’ve seen not only how that makes the team look at the weekend but also a 40% increase in attendances in the stands. That doesn’t happen if the boys don’t do what they’re doing on the pitch. That doesn’t happen if the club doesn’t have a clear strategy and plan they’ve had. I hope they continue that way, and I think if they do, the sky is the limit.”
Evidently, Halliday’s impact on the pitch hasn’t been what he would have wanted, and that is something he is very open about. Just seven appearances this season hasn’t been the last dance he would have envisaged.
However, his impact off the pitch has remained crucial. Despite the lack of game time, he has remained a consummate professional. Jens Berthel Askou named Halliday vice-captain at the start of his tenure, and Halliday has repaid that faith and responsibility by assisting in a number of ways.
“If I was told at the start of the season that I would only play seven times, I wouldn’t have been happy, obviously,” Halliday laughed.
“At that point in time, I want to play all the time. But when you realise your body isn’t what it was, you’re in pain constantly; you have to contribute in other ways. I’ve always been someone that will try and help the team or help young players, and I’ll study the games. One thing the manager has always done for me is he’s kept me involved. He’s always asked my opinion, whether that’s been players or teams or what we’re doing, and that’s helped me. It’s made me feel involved even though I’ve not been, and you just want to contribute in any way you can.
“I’ve almost accepted that as my role because it would have been naive of me to expect to play given how well the boys have done. I think the three boys who have played the majority of the games in the middle of the pitch have been outstanding. Even Oscar Priestman will count himself unlucky. He’s played limited games, but anytime he’s been on the pitch, he’s been excellent. It would have been naive of me to be chapping the manager’s door at the weekend saying I should be playing, so instead, what else can I help with?
“I can help by training the way I’ve always trained, which is at my maximum. I can give advice. At the end of training, I can take a couple of the boys away do some individual work, helping with finishing or whatever it is they need. I’ll take that role on.”
Although the journey may be coming to an end personally for Halliday, the best thing was seeing his teammates finishing the job they have started this season. The Steelmen sealed European football, and Halliday was determined for there to be no distractions going into those pivotal fixtures.
“It was an amazing thing to do,” he admitted.
“We talk about that progression as a football club, and where you leave it, it was immense to seal Europe. It was nothing less than the group of players deserved. I was conscious that I didn’t want this announcement to be a sidetrack to what the players have done all season long.
“Regardless of the stage of the season, the games played, etc., the standard of training throughout the season has been immense. Even when we went on a sticky patch, which was always going to come at some point, the dressing room didn’t deteriorate, and the intensity in training stayed where it’s been all year. You don’t want to limp over the line; you want to sprint.
“They’ve been a group of sprinters.”
And with his future sealed and Halliday content, he can now look forward to the future and the next chapter. But getting to that chapter has been because of the support he’s had throughout his footballing journey, and to everyone that’s been a part of it, he’s grateful.
“I was a young boy growing up, and all I wanted to be was a football player,” he added.
“I’m extremely lucky and grateful that I managed to have an 18-year career as a professional, and I just want to thank every teammate, every coach and every manager that I’ve ever had. A big thank you also has to go to the fans as well. I’ve always been someone who maybe splits opinion, but it’s all part of it. I’ve felt nothing but love walking through the streets, and I just want to thank everyone that’s helped me along the way.
“I’ll still be an avid Scottish football fan; that’s for sure, but a big thank you to everyone.”
