Planning for life after football has always been in the forefront of Andy Halliday’s mind, and with the support of the union, the Motherwell midfielder is enjoying new opportunities that keep him busy both on and off the pitch.
Halliday, 33, has been a PFA Scotland member for nine years and believes its important for professionals in Scotland to work as a collective, with the benefits there to see.
“It’s important to have the backing of the union. It’s the main platform for the players to have a voice. I think there’s loads of benefits, some I’ve utitlised myself as I’ve always been someone who’s had one eye on what’s after football.”
The Motherwell midfielder is enjoying a strong start to the season, with the Fir Park side winning six of their last seven games and have a League Cup semi-final to look forward to next month. Halliday highlights how he has taken on opportunities to apply for his coaching badges through the union, as well as undergoing the Applied Management in Football course with Napier University.
Halliday launched Player2Pro Academy with his brother earlier in the year, working alongside Rangers forward, Kirsty Howat, to support the next generation of footballers in Glasgow. Alongside this, Halliday is of course a regular on the popular Open Goal podcast as well as Clyde SuperScoreBoard.
“I’ve always been the type to try and keep busy and I’ve really enjoyed some of the opportunities I’ve had,” said Halliday. “The last seven months have been really enjoyable, working with kids and developing them. I’m really passionate about youth development in Scotland, it’s an area I think where we can be better. I want to contribute.”
Highlighting his experience within the media, the former Rangers and Hearts player urges those that are keen to do more in this area to grasp the opportunity with both hands.
“You need to be open to every opportunity. The more experience you get, the better you’ll get. It’s something I never thought I would enjoy, but I love it. I think it helps you gain a better understanding of the game in general, hearing new or different opinions.”
As one of the more senior players at Motherwell, Halliday has a range of experiences in football including managing European football schedules with both his former clubs. The midfielder discusses that its important players are aware of the growing issues in the game and why its important to be involved, with the support of the union.
“I think it’s really important that we’re at the table for these broader discussions. Fundamentally, we the players, are affected by all of this stuff. There has been a lot of conversations over the years, a lot of productive ones like over astroturf pitches and stuff.”
“Recently, there is obviously a lot more chat about workload and the increasing demands for players. The fact of the matter is, it’s important that even those not involved are supporting their peers.”
“The obvious ones affected here in Scotland are the Rangers and Celtic players, the likes of James Tavernier and Callum McGregor. They play 60-70 games across a season. We all know we are in very, very fortunate to be in the position we are in, but we also know it’s a short career and you need to try and make the most of it. The fact is if you’re playing 75 games a season with only a 10 day holiday at the end of it, you’re making a short career, even shorter. I think in general, it’s important to have these conversations. We need to be open and honest.”
Halliday also touches on the significance of putting more emphasis on mental health support and how football has developed in that aspect.
“This is something that hadn’t really been spoken about when I was coming through” he said, “You were taught to not show your opponents your emotions. You couldn’t build yourself up or speak about it then, so its really important that there is more focus on doing the opposite. It’s OK to talk. That’s been driven from PFA Scotland and its members in recent years and there is a lot more people coming forward to talk about their emotions and their experiences and if that can help one person, then it’s all worth it.”
Learn more about PFA Scotland’s mental health support, online.
