Hartlepool United legend Gary Liddle announces retirement following milestone appearance
Hartlepool United legend Gary Liddle has announced his retirement from playing after making his 800th career appearance at the weekend.
The 38-year-old, who played 364 games for Pools across three separate spells and won promotions in 2007 and 2021, called time on his long and distinguished playing career after making his milestone 800th appearance for Whitby Town on Saturday.
Liddle was versatile and could play at centre-half, full-back or in central-midfield, comfortable in possession and a natural leader. He is 10th on the list of all-time Pools appearance-makers and will be remembered as one of the club's finest ever players.
Liddle first signed for Pools in 2006 having spent three years at his hometown club Middlesbrough, where he won the FA Youth Cup in 2004. Liddle impressed in a number of positions under popular manager Danny Wilson as Pools won promotion back to League One. He shared the club's players' player of the season award with Michael Nelson following an assured debut campaign.
Liddle lived up to his initial promise and became a stalwart of the Pools side until his departure in 2012 when he rejected the club's offer of a new deal having made 238 appearances in the North East.
He went on to sign for Notts County where he linked up with Keith Curle, who would go on to endure a challenging three month spell as Pools boss in the 2022/23 campaign. Liddle played every minute of all 46 league games in his first season at Meadow Lane, becoming the first County player to do so in 30 years. He picked up four prizes at the club's end of season awards night and went on to make 76 appearances in Nottinghamshire.
Spells at Bradford, where he was part of the side that beat Premier League Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round, Chesterfield, where he was named club captain, Carlisle and Walsall, where he was signed by former Pools teammate Darrell Clarke, followed before he returned to Pools on an initial loan deal in December 2019. Liddle signed for Pools on a permanent basis the following summer and made 26 appearances, starting in the play-off final at Ashton Gate, as his side won promotion back to the Football League in 2021. He remained at Victoria Park for another season and played his 700th career game in a 2-1 win at Harrogate Town.
Liddle went on to sign for South Shields, where he worked with future Pools boss Kevin Phillips as the Mariners won promotion to the National League North. The veteran played every minute of their promotion campaign and was named in the Northern Premier League team of the season.
Liddle left South Shields in March 2023 and reunited with another former Pools manager in Graeme Lee at Spennymoor. After less than two months, he signed for Northern Premier League outfit Whitby Town, joining initially as a player-coach. He took interim charge of the struggling Seasiders in October and was given the job on a permanent basis earlier this month. His 800th and final appearance, a 2-0 defeat at home to Morpeth, saw Whitby slide into the relegation zone.
A hugely popular figure at Pools who helped his side win two memorable promotions, a consummate professional renowned for his consistency, leadership and composure, Liddle will now be focused on steering Whitby clear of the drop.