Livi boss failed in ‘sentimental’ Snodgrass swoop

AFTER coming through the youth system at Livingston before moving to Leeds United, Robert Snodgrass doubtless looks back fondly on his time in West Lothian.

That sentiment, however, did not extend to rejoining the Lions on lower wages than were being offered at Hearts, as Livingston manager Davie Martindale soon discovered.

When Snodgrass was looking for a new club last summer after leaving Luton Town, Martindale thought there was nothing to lose in asking the 35-year-old whether he would be keen on heading back to the club where it all started.

‘I tried to sign him, I said: “What are you looking for?”’ said Martindale, whose team host Hearts today. ‘And he told me — and I fell off my chair.

‘When I passed the fit-andproper person test, I’d never spoken to Robert in my life, and I got a text from him saying: “Delighted for you, keep up what you are doing at Livingston”.

‘Snoddy has Livingston connections, so I kept his number and when I saw he was available, I’m thinking: “Please let it be that he’s coming back up the road for sentimental reasons, his family are moving back up and he wants somewhere close to Glasgow. I fit the bill, it will not be about money”.

‘I phoned him and he said: “The only reason I’m coming back up the road is to play at a decent level. To leave my family, it needs to be financially rewarding for me”, which I get.

‘The sentimental part was the only leverage I had and it got thrown out the window.’ Ahead of today’s game, Martindale is acutely aware of Snodgrass’ importance to a Hearts team sitting comfortably in third place.

‘What a talented footballer but he’s also got that mindset,’ added Martindale.

‘When you watch Snoddy on the telly you think “top-level player” but when you see him live, you think: “I wish I had a Robert Snodgrass because he makes your life far easier”.

‘He’s a leader by example, he puts demands on players.’

Livingston striker Bruce Anderson, meanwhile, admits Hearts forward Lawerence Shankland is a player he used to look up to during their days trying to make an impact in the first team at Aberdeen.

Shankland is flying after last week becoming the first Hearts player since John Robertson in 1992 to score 20 goals in a single campaign.

‘He was always a goalscorer, you could tell that even when he was younger but I think the other side of the game is so much better,’ said Anderson.

‘Even then, his finishing was ridiculous, so it was one of them where I was saying, right I need to try to get mine to that sort of level.’