David Martindale has dropped the bombshell news that skipper Nicky Devlin is expected to leave the club this summer.
The 29-year-old’s current deal runs out at the end of the season and he is set to depart under freedom of contract.
The full-back joined the Lions in 2019 and was named club captain two years ago when Marvin Bartley moved into the dugout.
Martindale has held talks with the former Ayr United and Walsall player but has accepted defeat in his bid to persuade him to stay.
He said: “We have Nicky Devlin who has been one of our best players over the last few years. He has been brilliant for us.
“His wife has just had a wee one and he probably has to look elsewhere.
“But if he does leave then I will shake his hand and thank him from the bottom of my heart for all he has done for me and the club. He will go with my best wishes.
“I would love to sell him and make money for Livingston but it doesn’t always work like that.”
Devlin is poised to follow fellow defender Jack Fitzwater out the door for free at Almondvale in the summer.
And Martindale, who accepts Joel Nouble will also leave if the right bid comes in, insists he understands why Devlin and Fitzwater are keen to take their chances as ‘Bosman’ signings.
He added: “I imagine there will be interest in Joel Nouble this summer and I will be astonished if my phone isn’t hot with clubs wanting him.
“He is under contract and we can move him on with a sale and we can get money.
“That’s the business model we want to have but sometimes it can’t happen.
“You can have players who have done well for you but teams are reluctant to spend £250,000, or £500,000 on a player who they can wait six months for and get for nothing.
“The market they are going to get to, they maybe aren’t going to a club spending that type of money on someone.
“That is probably the category Nicky and Jack have fallen into.
“It is a short career as a player and you have maybe eight years to maximise your growth.
“You have a few years trying to break into the team, then a few years at the end where you aren’t earning top money.
“It would be nice to say to the likes of Nicky we can match what other clubs are offering him.
“If we could match other clubs then I think the likes Nicky and Jack would stay here.
“It would be nice to see what we could do if we could do that - but we can’t.”
