Livingston defender Luiyi de Lucas admits it came in less than ideal circumstances but says it was a ‘dream’ to make his Lions debut on Saturday.
And the 28-year-old says he can’t wait for tomorrow night’s clash with Dundee United as he is set for his first start and is determined to win the 'respect' of the Livi faithful.
The Dominican Republic international came off the bench for the injured Ayo Obileye for the final 15 minutes or so in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Hibs.
With Obileye sidelined - likely for the rest of the season - and fellow centre-back Jack Fitzwater suspended, the former FC Haka man is set to get the starting nod against United tomorrow.
It’s a day he’s been waiting for and he says he’s desperate to win over the Livi fans and his fellow team-mates with a solid performance.
Speaking to the Courier, he said: “I didn’t want to make my debut in those circumstances at all, but I waited for two months and I was excited to finally get the chance.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow. I want to show what I can do and win the respect of the fans and my team-mates and show them my quality.
“I had to wait for my chance which is fair because the other centre-backs have been playing well and know the league, but it’s a dream for me to be playing at this level and it was a dream to play on Saturday.
“I woke up happy because I had been given such a great opportunity to play in this league and for this team and I want to help them as much as possible. I’ve been working hard to make sure I’m ready for when the manager needs me on the pitch.”
De Lucas is set to go to battle against veteran former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher which will no doubt provide an interesting welcome to Scottish football but he insists he’s up to the challenge.
He commented: “He is such a great player who has had a brilliant career but we are prepared. We’ve watched a lot of footage and the staff have helped me to learn as much as possible.
“He’s a very good player but if I do the right things and my team-mates do the right things we are confident.”
He comes into a side on a poor run of form but with back-to-back home games coming up against sides in the bottom three.
The defender is full of belief that the Lions can pull themselves back into the top six - but he knows nothing will be handed to them.
He said: “In football anything can happen and you need to earn all of your points. Where teams are in the table does not matter but we are confident that we can go into the game feeling confident of getting the three points.”
Boss David Martindale backed the rookie to shine, saying: "It's a big chance for him. It's probably not a bad fixture to come into - it's not a Rangers or Celtic away for example. He's been in the building long enough to know what's required and I wish the big man all the best of luck.
"He's not had an opportunity because of the levels of play in the guys in front of him. There's got to be a way in and out of the team but Luiyi now has his opportunity. I think he's coming up against one of the best no.9s in the league in Steven Fletcher so it's a good test but it's one we're all confident in him and hopefully he goes out there and does well."
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