Former Livingston skipper Nicky Devlin has no doubt the club can thrive next season.
The 29-year-old full-back has signed for Aberdeen after a four-year stint in West Lothian but while he is moving on to pastures new he insists that he will always be thankful to the club and has backed gaffer David Martindale to bring continued success.
He said: “It potentially feels a bit like the end of an era for the club, but Livingston have replaced far better players than me and I’m sure that he [the manager] will do that again this summer.
“I have no doubt that with the squad next year and the guys already under contract, there won’t be any problems.”
Devlin added: “The manager has a knack of being able to find guys and turn them into big players for the club.
“There might be a bit of turnover but the manager’s done a good job of getting a lot of players locked down already for next season. The likes of Jason Holt, Sean Kelly, Andrew Shinnie – they’re going to drive the dressing room.
“I understand with me leaving, that’s the captain leaving but it doesn’t feel like that in there as there are six, seven boys who drive the dressing room. It’s not just me as the only leader.”
Devlin, who made just shy of 150 appearances for the club during his stint with the Lions, admitted that Martindale’s high demands from his players isn’t for everyone but that it’s a ‘fantastic’ place to be if you buy into the club’s and manager’s ethos.
He explained: “He [Martindale] is up front and honest. If you asked the players, they would all say that they know where they stand.
“The demands are hard at the football club and there’s a lot asked of you, but you understand that’s the same with everyone at the club and it’s not just the players. Everyone employed does more than what their job says.
“I think you appreciate that and you know very early on in your Livingston career what’s expected and it’s down to you. If you don’t want to put the work and effort in then the manager will say you won’t be here.
“He’s very demanding but if you buy into it then it’s a fantastic place to be.”
Devlin arrived in West Lothian from Walsall in 2019 and confessed that once the captain had made it clear he intended to move on, Martindale did ‘everything he could’ to help the full-back get the best possible move.
He said: “At first he was disappointed when I made the decision but since then he’s been the most supportive. He’s done everything he could and given me his own views on what would suit and be best for me and I appreciate that.
“When you have that relationship, it makes it harder to leave because you know how much you’re valued and wanted. He was a big influence on why I came to the club and I’ll always be grateful for everything he has done for me.”
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