Rangers-linked Livingston manager David Martindale claims he’s happy at the Lions so long as he’s wanted amid an approach from St Johnstone.
Livingston have rejected an approach from St Johnstone for the likeable Tony Macaroni manager, 49, who has been in charge in West Lothian since November 2020.
In an astonishing story, David Martindale took charge at Livingston after spending time in prison for his involvement in organised crime.
Referencing his past, David Martindale insists that after meeting Livingston CEO Dave Black he will remain committed to the job in hand until they no longer want him to take charge of the side.
“I’ve said to the media before that it was a very easy meeting between me and Dave (Black, CEO),” David Martindale told Sky Sports. “Dave said the club wanted me to stay so I’ll stay at Livingston.
“My future is always going to be, if the powers that be upstairs want me to be at Livingston, I’ll remain at Livingston.
“I don’t care who comes in for me – and that’s no disrespect to any other club – I owe Livingston a lot of gratitude, they helped change my life, they gave me a chance in professional football.
“There’s talk that he’s out of contract, I don’t need a contract. I’ve got a handshake with the people of Livingston that I’ve been working with for 10 years.
“If they want me to stay at Livingston, I’ll be the Livingston manager. I’m not going to chap their door and ask to leave.
“I went upstairs, had the conversation, said ‘what’s do you guys want to do?’. They said ‘we want you to stay’, I said ‘right, no bother’.
“It lasted about three minutes and I went back out and took training and that’s the end of it. There’s not really a lot more to it.”
David Martindale rejects St Johnstone manager approach
Scottish Premiership strugglers St Johnstone eyed David Martindale following the sacking ex-Rangers striker Steven McLean earlier in the week.
Now, the Livingston boss has been speaking out about those links following the side’s 1-0 defeat away to Hearts at Tynecastle.
It comes after David Martindale jokingly ruled himself out of the running to become Rangers manager as the club looked to replace Michael Beale.
The Livingston manager would then go on to tip an ex-Celtic player for the gig, with some Rangers fan genuinely considering Martindale as the man to take over at Ibrox.
Rangers instead opted to move for Belgian coach Philippe Clement who is certainly pulling up a few trees with the club’s 5-0 thumping of Dundee maintaining his perfect Premiership start at the Ibrox.
Meanwhile, Rangers have saved £1m after resisting David Martindale’s tip for a new striker.
