DAVID MARTINDALE has backed Esmaël Gonçalves to thrive on his return to the Scottish Premiership with Livingston.
The former Hearts and St Mirren striker has penned a two-year deal with the Lions nearly five years after his last stint in the SPFL.
The 30-year-old first arrived on loan at St Mirren from Rio Ave in Portugal and became an instant Paisley hero with goals in both the semi-final victory over Celtic on his debut and the final triumph over Hearts as the Buddies won the League Cup in 2013.
After netting eight goals in 16 appearances, Gonçalves returned to Scottish football in January 2017 and went on to score 15 times in 42 outings for Hearts before being sold a year later to Pakhtakor Tashkent in Uzbekistan.
Gonçalves, who has since played in Iran, Japan, India and most recently for Sheikh Russel in Bangladesh, later claimed racist abuse from Jambos fans had played a part in his decision to leave.
However, Martindale is convinced the Guinea-Bissau internationalist can be a ‘good fit’ for Livingston.
He said: “I’m really happy to get this one over the line.
“I was alerted to Esma’s availability a few weeks ago and, after some due diligence, I arranged for Esma to fly over and have a look at the club last week.
Livingston FC is delighted to confirm the signing of attacker Esmaël Gonçalves from Sheikh Russel FC. Esmaël joins on a 2-year-deal with the club having an option on a 3rd year and will wear the number 10 shirt. Full story here - https://t.co/S4js9C6bac Welcome, Esmaël! 👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/HOZxLvHzDG
— Livingston FC (@LiviFCOfficial) May 31, 2022
“I had a very enjoyable chat about football with Esma and knew he would be a good fit for our club. He hasn’t played a lot of football of late but I feel we can afford him that opportunity.
“Esma can play anywhere across the front three but was more predominantly used as a number nine in his previous spells in Scotland.
“He knows the league well and likes the physicality the Scottish league will throw at him, and has an eye for a goal
“I’m confident that Esma, once up-to-speed, will prove to be a valuable member of the first-team squad.”
