Livingston FC sporting director David Martindale has revealed that the club could have signed James Penrice for free two years ago. The left-back, who had shone in his team, was heading to the end of his contract at the time. Martindale spoke to some of the decision makers at Rangers and strongly suggested they take a chance on him. However, Penrice ended up signing for Hearts, but has now finally pitched up at Ibrox via a spell in Greece with AEK Athens. Rangers will pay £1.75million next summer if they decide to make his loan permanent.
What happened?
Martindale revealed that he had spoken to Rangers about signing Penrice before he joined Hearts. He said: "Something you might not know is that I actually spoke to certain individuals at Rangers - people who are no longer there - and suggested they should sign him before James joined Hearts. "He was heading out of contract at Livingston and I said they should take a wee chance on him on a free."
Why it matters for Livingston FC
The revelation raises questions about what could have been for Livingston FC. Martindale said: "Now don't get me wrong, I was trying to get us a wee sell-on clause to help protect my club because we didn’t receive anything when he joined Hearts. "There was a little bit of interest from Rangers at the time but clearly not enough for them to push the button on it."
What comes next?
Livingston FC are currently 12th in the Premiership, with 16 points from 33 games. They have scored 35 goals and conceded 66, with a goal difference of -31. They are 54 points behind leaders Heart Of Midlothian. Martindale believes that Penrice's arrival at Rangers will give them a boost, saying: "I think he will make it at Rangers. He's robust, adaptable, and has the right attitude and ability."
Why Penrice will make it at Rangers
Martindale believes that Penrice's upbringing and emotional attachment to Rangers will help him succeed at the club. He said: "The fact James is a Rangers fan I really do think will make a difference. When you’ve got players with ability who also have that emotional attachment, I think you get a bit more out of them."
What does it mean for Livingston FC?
The revelation raises questions about what could have been for Livingston FC. Martindale said: "Although he’s a Rangers fan, he’s a Livingston boy and we got a bit of that mindset during his time here. "But I know that playing in front of 50,000 people at Ibrox - with his family in amongst them - will mean a hell of a lot to James and for me that will get a wee bit more out of any player.
