Andy Halliday is in his fifth season with Rangers (Getty Images)
According to The Sun, Rangers have been urged to extend the contract of Andy Halliday by former Gers defender Alan Hutton.
Halliday, 28, came through the ranks of Rangers and Livingston FC’s youth system and was sent on loan spells. He has featured for several clubs including Middlesbrough and Bradford before returning to Rangers in 2015.
He was a regular member of the squad in the two seasons he was at the Ibrox, contributing with 15 goals and 8 assists. He then went on loan to FK Qabala and returned to his parent club for the second half of last campaign.
Though he has not featured regularly, his experience would be a huge boost to the squad and thus, the Gers must hand him a new contract, with the current one set to expire in the summer.
Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard’s side started the season on a high note and were tightly in contention for the premiership title. But as the season went by, the Gers showed inconsistency in their performance and are currently 13 points behind league leaders Celtic.
To strengthen their squad, they signed Ianis Hagi and Florian Kamberi on loan in January. However, the Gers overcame their slight dip in form but it has become too late as the Hoops are well and truly a few steps away from lifting the league title. Therefore, Gerrard should start planning for the new season.
The manager should make sure that there is a proper backup in every position as it could help them throughout the whole campaign. Thus, extending Andy Halliday’s contract could come in handy for the club.
In the left-back position, Borna Barisic is the only player available at the manager’s disposal. The Croatian has been brilliant so far, contributing with 14 assists and 2 goals and is the club’s second-highest assists provider. He has featured regularly without a natural left-back as a cover for him.
And Halliday, who has featured in 6 league games, is capable of operating from the left-back position despite being a defensive midfielder. He also has got immense experience under his belt, whilst making nearly 300 career appearances.
The 28-year-old would add depth to the squad if he is retained and would definitely add depth to the squad. He can be used as a cover in both central midfield and at left-back.
At 28, Halliday still has the energy to offer a lot and the Gers need to have the required depth if they are to challenge for various titles next season. Therefore, they should keep hold of the Scotsman by handing a new deal before the end of the campaign.
