Gary Liddle has agreed a deal to become South Shields’ fourth signing of the summer, with the former Hartlepool United defender to join on July 1st.
We take a closer look at the 35-year-old as he prepares to join the Mariners’ ranks.
Gary Liddle was born on June 15th, 1986 in Middlesbrough
He progressed through the famed Middlesbrough FC Academy, remaining with his hometown club until 2006
During his time with Boro, Liddle won the FA Youth Cup in 2003-04 alongside team-mates including Lee Cattermole, David Wheater, James Morrison, Andrew Taylor and Tony McMahon. They beat Aston Villa – who fielded the likes of Gary Cahill and Gabriel Agbonlahor – in the final
Liddle’s first spell at Hartlepool began in 2006, with the defender making his senior debut for the club
He made an immediate impression, winning the club’s Players’ Player of the Year award in his first season
A mainstay in the team for six seasons, Liddle made 238 appearances for Pools in his first stint with the club, and helped them win promotion from League Two in 2006-07
Liddle moved to fellow League One side Notts County in 2012 and spent two years at Meadow Lane
He played every minute of Notts’ league campaign in 2012-13 and won a host of individual club awards at the end of that season
A further League One switch followed in 2014, with Liddle going on to have a one-and-a-half-year stint with Bradford City
His next club was Chesterfield, who he was quickly appointed captain of after signing in February 2016
A year later, Liddle signed for Carlisle United, where he remained for 18 months
Former Hartlepool team-mate Darrell Clarke brought Liddle to Walsall in July 2019 but Pools lured him back to Victoria Park, initially on loan, in the 2019-20 season
That move was quickly made permanent, and Liddle was part of the Pools team which earned promotion to League Two via the National League play-offs in 2020-21
Liddle made almost 40 appearances in all competitions last season as Hartlepool re-established themselves in the Football League
He captained the club in last season’s historic FA Cup fourth round tie away to Crystal Palace
After deciding not to extend his spell with Pools, Liddle leaves the club with 364 Hartlepool appearances to his name and over 700 senior appearances overall
He is ninth on Hartlepool’s all-time appearances list
Although mainly a centre-back, he is also able to play at right-back or in the centre of midfield
Liddle will begin his new challenge on July 1st after agreeing to join South Shields