'I'll bite my tongue before digging individuals out': Rangers flashpoint addressed as ex-England man recalls 'top guy'

Andy Halliday has slammed “embarrassing” criticism of the way he celebrated his goal for Motherwell at the weekend against Rangers.

The ex-Ibrox midfielder opened the scoring for his current club Motherwell on Sunday afternoon on 28 minutes in the Premier Sports Cup final, putting his hands up in an apologetic gesture after netting against his former club, who he served for five years between 2015 and 2020.

Rangers roared back to win 2-1 and set up a final showdown with Celtic next month - although Halliday has not escaped flak how he reacted to scoring. And the 32-year-old has hit out at critics who claimed he disrespected his current employers during the moment at Hampden.

Motherwell's Andy Halliday received flak for this celebration against former club Rangers. | SNS Group

Halliday said: "Nothing should surprise me in the in the west of Scotland especially when it's something that happens across world football.

"But it just so seems that it does surprise me at the weekend again as the last thing I was I was certainly trying to do was disrespect Motherwell that's for sure. I've heard that comment being branded about over the last couple of days which to me is embarrassing. I'll bite my tongue before I start digging individuals out."

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Halliday added: "Maybe [regret] the little hands up - because that kind of gesture's being apologetic but I certainly wasn't apologising first for scoring a goal. But I will say if we played Rangers or Hearts next week and I scored I still wouldn't celebrate.

"I'll never do something to appease other people that's for sure. So I don't regret that. When Louis Moult scored against Motherwell - his old club - for Dundee United, he didn't celebrate."

Meanwhile. former England internationalist Kieron Dyer - who is now a pundit - has recalled his time as a team-mate of Halliday’s at Middlesbrough between 2010 and 2015.

Halliday spent five years with Middlesbrough. | Getty Images

Speaking on Open Goal, Dyer said: “He was a confident kid. What made me laugh about Andy was that Tony Mowbray was the manager at Middlesbrough and we had George Friend who was the left-back. And Andy Halliday used to cry why he wasn't playing every week. 'I just don't know why they don't play me.' Mate, because George Friend is better than you. When is that going to go through your head that George Friend is like the best left-back at the club.

"I liked him. For someone so young he was the life and soul of the changing room. He was one of the leaders. He controlled the music. I really liked him. He was a top guy."