Martin began his career in the Scottish lower leagues with
Albion Rovers and
Stenhousemuir. He then dropped back into the
Junior grade with
Shotts Bon Accord for three years before joining second-tier
Falkirk in 1985. In his
first season with the
Bairns the club achieved promotion to the top division, and maintained their status in
the second. In 1987 Martin moved to
Hamilton Academical, and in his
single campaign there he again helped the
Accies win promotion, this time as champions. By then he had already moved on to
St Mirren, where he stayed for three seasons in the
Scottish Premier Division before being signed by fellow top-level club Motherwell in November 1991 for £175,000. He made 237 appearances for Motherwell between 1991 and 1998, and was part of the side which finished
league runners-up in 1995. He was named in
SPFA Team of the Year for 1994. Martin left Motherwell in 1998 and had spells with
Stirling Albion and
Partick Thistle before retiring from the professional leagues in 2000, aged 37. He returned to local Junior football, appearing for
Lanark United,
Stonehouse Violet, Shotts - two decades after his first spell there, and
Cambuslang Rangers, also playing the occasional game for the 'Motherwell Legends' team. ==International career==