Keri Halliday

Keri Halliday
Personal information
Date of birth (2005-02-11) 11 February 2005 (age 21)
Place of birth Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Heart of Midlothian
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2025 Linfield
2025– Heart of Midlothian
2026 → Motherwell (loan)
International career‡
2023– Northern Ireland 16 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2026

Keri Halliday (born 11 February 2005) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Women's Premier League club Heart of Midlothian and the Northern Ireland national team. She began her senior club career with Linfield, scoring 53 goals in 85 appearances before joining Hearts in 2025. Halliday was named the PFA NI Women's Young Player of the Year following the 2024 season.

Early life

Halliday was born in Ballymoney and grew up on her family's farm. Her father encouraged her interest in football and took her to join a team as a child. She played for Ballymoney United before joining Linfield at the age of 16.

Club career

Linfield

Halliday joined Linfield from Ballymoney United in 2021. On 4 August, she scored a hat-trick on her first start for the club in a 6–1 win against Derry City, with her first goal in the match also being her first at senior level.

She became a regular for Linfield and was named the PFA NI Women's Young Player of the Year after the 2024 season, in which the club finished third in the Women's Premiership. By the time she left Linfield in 2025, she had scored 53 goals in 85 appearances.

Heart of Midlothian

On 11 July 2025, Halliday signed a two-year contract with Heart of Midlothian. She made her Hearts debut as a substitute in a 2–1 league defeat to Celtic on 17 August. Her first goal for the club came in an 8–1 win over Hamilton Academical in November 2025.

On 14 March 2026, Halliday joined Motherwell on loan for the remainder of the season. She scored on her Motherwell debut in a 4–3 away win against Aberdeen. Halliday also scored against Aberdeen in a 2–2 draw on the final day of Motherwell's league season. She returned to Hearts following the loan and remained with the club for the 2026–27 season.

International career

Halliday represented Northern Ireland at under-17 and under-19 level. In April 2023, she scored twice after coming on as a substitute as the under-19 team defeated Kosovo 3–1 to finish top of their UEFA European Championship qualifying group.

She received her first senior Northern Ireland call-up in November 2023 for UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Albania and the Republic of Ireland. Halliday made her senior debut on 1 December 2023 as a substitute in a 4–0 away victory over Albania.

On 14 April 2026, Halliday scored her first two senior international goals and provided an assist in a 4–0 World Cup qualifying win against Malta.

Personal life

Halliday has spoken publicly about her Christian faith. She has taken part in football coaching trips to Spain and Romania through Hebron Free Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney and the Coaching for Christ charity.

Honours

Heart of Midlothian

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Northern Ireland Senior Women". Irish Football Association. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Halliday and Beattie on the move". Irish Football Association. 18 July 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Women's Player Of The Year Presentations". Professional Footballers Association Northern Ireland. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Keri Halliday: How Farming, Faith and Football shaped my life". Motherwell F.C. 3 April 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  5. ↑ McKinley, Stuart (15 July 2024). "How faith, farming and football work hand in hand to drive Keri Halliday to glory". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Hat-trick for Keri as Blues hit Derry for six". Northern Ireland Football League. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Keri arrives". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Match Report: Hearts Women 1-2 Celtic Women". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  9. ↑ "Match Report: Hearts Women 8-1 Hamilton". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "Keri's Motherwell loan". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 14 March 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Three points in the Granite City: Aberdeen 3-4 Motherwell". Motherwell F.C. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Motherwell rescue late draw against Aberdeen". BBC Sport. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Supersub Halliday fires Northern Ireland WU19s to group-topping win". Irish Football Association. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  14. ↑ McKendry, Adam (24 November 2023). "Keri Halliday receives first Northern Ireland call-up for Nations League fixtures". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Meet the Northern Ireland senior debutants of 2023". Irish Football Association. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  16. ↑ McCabe, Jana (15 April 2026). "Have Halliday's heroics started a new chapter for NI?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Olid 'in shock' after Hearts' SWPL title win". BBC Sport. 24 May 2026. Retrieved 22 September 2026.