Livingston boss David Martindale admits he’s delighted that Cristian Montano didn’t elect to leave the club in the summer.
The Colombian ace endured a challenging first season in Scotland and Martindale confessed he told the 30-year-old he was free to leave.
But the rejuvenated full-back has been in impressive form this campaign and capped it off with a 25-yard match winner against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday.
Maybe, the gaffer admits, the luck has finally turned for the former Port Vale and Bristol Rovers man.
Speaking to the Courier, Martindale commented: “I’ll be honest, Cristian was one of the guys who if they chapped my door in the summer, I’d have said if you want to go back down the road I won’t stand in your way.
“I don’t think he hit the heights I needed him to last year but from day one of pre-season this year I’ve been super impressed.
“I spoke to him at the end of the season. I said to him: “I don’t want you to leave the football club because you’re a great guy in and around the place but I need more from you on the park.’”
“He came back and he’s been brilliant. I’m actually really, really happy for him. I’ve got a lot of time for Cristian and his family. My wife Martha actually helped his partner get a job when they moved up here because they work within the same company.
“He’s a good lad who I want to see succeed at Livingston.”
He added: “It was stop-start for him last season and to be honest there wasn’t that many starts.
“James Penrice’s injury and Jackson Longridge picking up a niggle too, it kind of forced my hand to be honest but football works in funny ways sometimes.
“It’s not always the manager coming up with great tactical game plans and everything working. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice and you get a double-six.
“It’s been like that with Cristian. He’s had his opportunities and he’s made the most of it. He’s been brilliant and he’s really got credit in the bank now whereas he didn’t have that really at any stage last season.”
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