Halliday’s revival must make him biggest surprise package of Rangers’ season so far

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When Borna Barisic signed for Rangers this summer for a fee the BBC reported was £2.2m after some impressive performances against Rangers, few would have expected Andy Halliday to get much in the way of gametime at left-back this season.

Halliday was a converted midfielder who had lost his way at Rangers and the host of arrivals Steven Gerrard brought to the club this summer looked set to force him further out of the picture.

But to his credit, Halliday has forced his way back into contention, taking advantage of his superior experience within British football to become a reliable presence for Gerrard, excelling in certain tricky European assignments as well.

But in a season in which Rangers’ transfer activity has produced mixed results and the squad as a whole has struggled for consistency, Halliday has been a welcome exception.

His technical ability has never been in doubt and he has reliably shut down tricky widemen in a role that is still not the most familiar to him – he would likely love to return to the centre but has seen the likes of Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Steven Davies block his path this term.

He can also become a leader in a side that still needs to raise its collective standards if it is to gain the consistency required to chip away at Celtic once more.