Shirtliff was born in Hoyland, near Barnsley. He began his football career with Sheffield Wednesday, where in two spells with the club he achieved promotion from the Second Divisionin 1983–84, a third-place finish in the First Division in the 1991–92 season, and a League Cup-winners' medal in 1991, but missed the 1993 League Cup and FA Cup finals with a broken arm. He played more than 350 games for the club in all competitions. After his first spell with Wednesday, he joined Charlton Athletic, where his two goals in the last 10 minutes of extra time in the 1986–87 playoff final replay against Leeds kept the club in the First Division. He also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Barnsley and Carlisle United).