Andy Halliday says he’s ready to fight for his Rangers future

ANDY HALLIDAY admits he is fighting to keep his Rangers dream alive.

The 25-year-old grew up in the shadow of Ibrox and is fulfilling a life-long ambition by playing for the side he supported as a boy.

However, he has struggled for form and confidence this season and was edged out of caretaker Graeme Murty’s side by Jason Holt and Emerson Hyndman.

With new boss Pedro Caixinha now in charge, midfielder Halliday is fully aware the Portuguese coach will be looking to move players on as he prepares for a summer rebuilding project.

And he has confessed he fears his “inconsistent” campaign could spell the end of his Gers career.

But, after shaking off the hamstring strain which kept him out of Caixinha’s first game in charge, against Hamilton earlier this month, Halliday insists he is ready to fight for his place.

He said: “It’s a positive thing when a new manager comes in. It’s a clean slate for everyone and you are all playing for your future.

“I’ve got no doubts the new manager will have his own ideas and will want to bring in his own players.

“It’s up to us to make sure (we aren’t forced out). In my opinion, the only way is down once you leave this football club so it’s up to us to put up a fight.

“Do I feel like I’m fighting for my future right now? Of course, I think everyone is.

“No one has the right or a guarantee to stay at this club. It’s as simple as that.

“I’ve had my time where I’ve been in the side for a sustained period of time and there were people trying to take my jersey off me. Now it’s up to me to take someone else’s off them.

“All the boys in the team right now deserve to be there because they have been fantastic. While I’ve been out injured they got a positive result against Celtic and a convincing win against Hamilton.

“But I will never take for granted the days and weeks I spent at this football club, so it’s up to me to try and get back into the team and try to get back to form.”

The former Livingston, Middlesbrough and Blackpool player has already fought his way back to Rangers after being released as a teenager.

And he says is not ready to give up on his Gers future just yet.

“That was clearly a disappointing thing to happen as a young boy but it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me,” admitted Halliday.

“I went to Livingston and played first-team football at a young age and thankfully I got the chance to come back and be a Rangers player, which was something I’d dreamed of since I was a young boy.

“My dream wasn’t to play here for two or three years, though. I want to be here for a long time.”