David Martindale opens up on love for Livingston amidst St Johnstone links

Livingston boss David Martindale admits it’s ‘flattering’ to be linked with the St Johnstone job.

However, the 49-year-old insists he’ll remain at Livingston for as long as the club want him.

The McDiarmid Park hotseat opened up following the Saints’ dismissal of Steven MacLean with the Perth outfit having failed to win any of their nine top flight games this season.

But while he distanced himself from the gig, he confessed he does have the ambition to test himself at a higher level.

He said: “It’s flattering if you’ve got other chief executives and directors of football linking you to jobs at their clubs - if that’s the case - but it’s media speculation at this point. They’d need to go to the people upstairs. I’ll never not be at Livingston if Livingston want me to be at Livingston.

“I don’t care what club comes calling for me. I owe Livingston a huge debt of gratitude, they changed my life and have given me an opportunity in professional football.

“I’ve had relationships with (chairman) John Ward and (CEO) Dave Black for 10 years, until those two guys tell me my time’s up, I’ll be at Livingston no matter who makes a phone call.”

He added: “Would I like a chance (to move) at a some stage of my career? Yes. Do I want to be challenging for Europe with a bigger budget and impose my style of play at a club with better finances? Of course, but that doesn’t mean I come into my work not to be at Livingston.

“I love Livingston and I love being the Livingston manager. There’s aspects of the job that are testing but I hate it when players come here and I see their performances dip because they’re linked with other clubs.

“I’ll never let that happen to me. I’m ambitious but I don’t come to work not to be at Livingston and that