During a career which began at Bolton Wanderers in 1998 and ended with a two-year stint at Walsall from 2012 to 2014, Holden was a defender who was comfortable playing at right-back and centre-back.
Over that sixteen-year period, he amassed 369 league appearances, representing ten clubs and scoring 22 goals.
Born in Swinton, Greater Manchester, Holden started his career with Bolton Wanderers where he made 13 league appearances and scored once against Sheffield United,[4] before moving on to Oldham Athletic after a successful loan period.
[5] On 27 January 2008, Holden suffered a broken leg, after a late tackle by Celtic's Stephen McManus, during Falkirk's 1–0 home defeat,[6] leaving him out of action until October.
On 5 August 2010 Holden signed on loan at Rotherham United,[7] initially for only one month but this was extended twice until he was recalled early by Shrewsbury on 20 October.
[13] Despite his English birth and having played for the England youth team, Holden qualified to represent Northern Ireland through his grandparents, and was called up to their full squad for the first time in June 2007 but did not make an appearance.
[21] In August 2020 Holden was appointed as full-time head coach at Bristol City, on a 12-month rolling contract, after he had won two and drawn two games of the last five of the 2019–20 season while in temporary charge.
[25] He took charge of Stoke's 1–0 win at Blackburn Rovers two days later, before confirming his departure from the club ahead of Alex Neil's appointment as O'Neill's replacement.