In 1979, the club hired Dutch coach Hans Croon and Haleydt lost his starting berth.
After two seasons with Cercle Brugge, he returned to his debut team, Eendracht Aalst, where he played in the Division 2, before retiring in 1984.
Rudy Haleydt made his first and only national team call-up for Belgium, on 5 September 1976, after a display of fine form on club level with KSV Waregem, he made his international debut in a 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iceland, coming on and playing the final 30 minutes of a 1-0 away win in Reykjavík.
That same year, 1996, he was hired the head coach of Division 3 team, RAEC Mons, but was fired after 17 games.
Haleydt would then go another 3 years, away from cocahing, before returning again for the 2009-10 season as the head coach of KSV Willebroek, his fourth and final spell with the club.