It’s a dream start for Hegarty as he moves to keep star players at club

Dec 18 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

It’s a dream start for Hegarty as he moves to keep star players at club

PAUL Hegarty has enjoyed a dream first week in the Livingston hot-seat.

The new boss guided the Lions to a brilliant 4-1 away day win in his first match in charge while he also welcomed back Leigh Griffiths from injury.

And on the back of that Hegarty has revealed talks have begun with the aim of keeping loan stars Callum Elliot and Rocco Quinn at least until the end of the season.

“Rocco and Callum are both players who we’d like to keep here at the club to help us kick on in our goal to reach the Premier League,” revealed Hegarty.

“We have spoken to both and told them this and hopefully over the next few weeks we can reach some agreements with their clubs.”

It is common knowledge that James McPake has signed a pre-contract with Championship side Coventry and it has been claimed they could even take the Lions skipper next month.

But Hegarty insists he’d rather have him marshalling the Livi defence in their title challenge than sell him early.

He said: “I’d definitely prefer to keep James until the end of the season. I’ve been given assurances that he will be at Livingston for the foreseeable future but you know what football is like and that can change from day to day.”

After a miserable run of just four points from a possible 21, Livingston roared back to form with a Dingwall demolition.

“I’m delighted with the three points especially after going up to Ross County which is a tough place.” he said. “I don’t think we played particularly well in the first half but to be fair to the players they took on board a lot of things that Graeme Robertson and myself said to them at half-time.

“There are a host of clubs trying for promotion and we are certainly one of them. What we’ve got to do is remember how we started the season and get back to that form.

“If we can do that then I’m sure we’ll be there or thereabouts.”

Next up for Livi is a home clash with Queen of the South who hit the Lions for six on a rain-lashed Palmerston Park earlier.

But Livingston will welcome key defender Dave Mackay back into the fold and Hegarty is sure there will be a different result this time around.

“Mackay trained for the first time in six days on Tuesday and is back in contention for us Saturday.

“Queens beat us well the last time we played them but the hurt they’ll feel from the last time will be a good tool motivation wise.”