 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 in representing ten clubs, 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, before moving on to Oldham Athletic after a successful loan period.