Halliday has been afforded just substitute appearances for Rangers.
Steven Gerrard has heaped praise on Rangers utility man Andy Halliday when speaking to the Scotsman, applauding the midfielder for his professionalism despite being given limited game time.
Halliday, 26, has made just three substitute appearances all season for Rangers, coming on for one minute apiece against FK Shkupi and NK Osijek, before playing for the last 20 on Sunday against St. Mirren.
He impressed during Sunday’s 2-0 win and his mentality and attitude off the pitch has impressed new manager Gerrard, who has started life at Ibrox in superb fashion – winning four and drawing three of his seven games, conceding only three.
Halliday is expected to be on the bench on Thursday as Rangers travel to Slovenia in a bid to hold onto their first-leg 3-1 advantage against Maribor, and Gerrard was surprisingly full of praise for the left-footed star despite him hardly getting a game.
“Andy has been superb since the first day I met him,” said Gerrard. “When you come into a club, you hear different things about players and sometimes it’s not always positive.
“But I have to take people at face value. He’s been absolutely brilliant as a squad member. He’s done every single training session, everything asked of him and more. He’s always ready for that chance and I can trust him now to go in.
“I’m really pleased with Andy and I think he has got a big part to play. Not only is he trusted on the pitch, he is a very important member in that dressing room. He’s a Rangers nut and really, really cares about this football club.”
Halliday remains well down the pecking order in central midfielder, with new signings Scott Arfield, Ovie Ejaria and Lassana Coulibaly preferred, as is Ryan Jack. Graham Dorrans and Jordan Rossiter are still to return.
The former Middlesbrough star has entered the final two years of his contract at Rangers, but his future does remain a doubt after The Daily Mail claimed Halliday was surplus to requirements in the summer.
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