Livingston’s match-winner Ayo Obileye believes the Lions might have an even greater talent than Lyndon Dykes on their hands in striker Joel Nouble.
Dykes enjoyed a fruitful 2019/20 campaign in West Lothian before a near £2million transfer to Queens Park Rangers and has been a constant in the Scotland line-up since.
It’s been a decade since the pair were first team-mates at Dagenham and Redbridge and the defender has backed his pal to reach greater heights.
Despite a somewhat nomadic career spent largely in the sixth and seventh tiers of English football, Nouble has been tearing apart Scottish football since his arrival last summer.
Firstly during a loan spell with Arbroath in the Championship, then as a winger in the top flight with the Lions but the former Aldershot man has earned plenty of plaudits for displays as the central striker this term under David Martindale.
He’s bagged two terrific goals in three league games so far, having failed to find the net in 18 appearances for Livi last term.
Obileye commented: “Joel is doing well and I am hoping he keeps doing what he is doing because it’s better for us.
“It’s the same as Lyndon. If he carries on doing what he is doing, he can be even better than him when he was here. Lyndon was great, he’s a Scotland international – but Joel can be great too.”
He added: “I was on loan at Dagenham and Redbridge when I was at Charlton and he was there. He was always good.
“You look at him and you think, ‘Oh, he’s just a big, big boy’. But that is underestimating him. Joel is a great player.
“Last season you might not have seen that much of him because he was on loan but I have known him since I was 17.
“This season, with him being here at the start, we are seeing the benefit of it. You are just going to see more and more of him. This is just the start.
“It’s great to have a big striker like him who can hold the ball up and run in behind.”
Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here
