Waterford FC have completed the signing of Scottish defender Jordan Houston from Finnish side FC Haka, with the move confirmed before the League of Ireland transfer window closed on Sunday night.
The 26-year-old right-back arrives at the RSC following a year in the Veikkausliiga, where he made 19 league appearances for Haka during the 2025 season, scoring twice. His move marks a return to the British and Irish football landscape after a spell abroad that followed several years in the Scottish game.
Houston is a product of the Rangers academy and signed his first professional deal with the Glasgow club in July 2018. Although he did not make a league appearance for the Ibrox side, he made his senior debut in January 2019, coming off the bench in a 3-1 Scottish Cup win against Cowdenbeath. Loan spells soon followed, first with Airdrieonians and then with Ayr United, where he impressed sufficiently to earn a permanent switch in January 2020.
Across three seasons with Ayr in the Scottish Championship, Houston made 62 league appearances and scored once, establishing himself as a reliable option at right-back. Shorter stints with Queen of the South and Clyde came next before he opted for a fresh challenge in Finland at the beginning of 2025.
Waterford reshaping
Now, he links up with head coach Jon Daly at Waterford, becoming the latest addition as the club reshapes its defensive options.
Speaking after putting pen to paper, Houston said:
“I’m delighted to be here and to be part of this club. I’m looking forward to getting myself in and meeting all the lads. “I’m happy to be working with Jon and the staff this season. It’s a new challenge in a new country for me and I’m excited to get started.”
Daly believes the defender will offer balance on the right flank, highlighting both his defensive discipline and attacking intent.
“We’re really pleased to bring Jordan Houston to the football club. As a right-back, he gives us the balance we’re looking for in both aspects of the game. “He’s aggressive and disciplined defensively and has really good energy going forward, with excellent quality to deliver crosses into the box. “His ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch is important for how we want our full backs to play, and we’re confident he’ll adapt to our league once he’s fully up to speed.”
Houston will wear the number 2 shirt as Waterford look to strengthen ahead of the new campaign. With experience across Scotland’s top three divisions and a season in Finland under his belt, he arrives as a player entering his prime years.
From a broader perspective, this feels like a calculated move rather than a headline grabber. Waterford have targeted a defender with senior experience, international youth caps for Scotland at under-17 and under-19 level, and a point to prove after a mixed spell overseas. If he settles quickly, the signing could provide the consistency and width Daly clearly wants from his full-backs in 2026.
His time at Rangers underpins his progress. He might not have broken through at Ibrox, but his presence there will have givne him access to top coaches, helping bring out the best in him for his future career.
