Livingston FC's Dave Mackay wants to stay

Dec 31 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

DAVE Mackay has watched Graham Dorrans, Robert Snodgrass and now James McPake walk away from Almondvale but he insists he is no hurry to follow them.

Scotland under 21 duo Dorrans and Snoddy are starring for West Brom and Leeds respectively while skipper McPake has agreed a pre contract with Coventry City.

But fans favourite Mackay has reassured supporters he is loving life in West Lothian and has no plans to follow them out the door.

“My family and I are settled at Livingston so I’ve honestly no plans to move,” revealed Mackay.

“I don’t know if I’d fancy trying my luck in England again as I had a year with Oxford already and although I enjoyed it my family didn’t really settle.

“But if the right club came in with a great opportunity then I’d think about it but I’m happy at Livingston and we are doing well.

“Hopefully I can help us get back to the SPL this season.

“Both Graham and Snoddy are doing really well for themselves and I have been speaking a lot to Graham recently.

“He’s delighted to have been involved recently and both games he has played in they have won. He’s loving it at West Brom and Snoddy is banging the goals in for Leeds too.”

Coventry City have already snapped Lions captain McPake up on a pre-contract agreement but the English cracks have entered negotiations to try and bring him south next week.

But Mackay has urged the Livi board to hold onto the 24 year old until the summer to keep their SPL dream alive.

Mackay said: “Hopefully we can keep James here until the end of the season but that’s really between the two clubs.

“If we lose him it is a massive blow as he is one of our best players.

“He’d be a big miss and he plays in a very important position so hopefully we can keep him.

“I think he’ll do really well at Coventry. He’s quick which is something that is very important in the Championship.

“He is still learning the game as he has only played at centre-half for a couple of seasons but he’s getting better and better all the time.

“Playing against better players will only improve him further and he’ll learn a lot there I think.

“It’d also be great if we could keep Callum Elliot here as well until the end of the season. He’s been banging in the goals which has helped us as we wondered where they’d come from when Sparky got himself injured. He’s been brilliant for us.”

Livi defied pre season predictions of a relegation battle to storm to the top of the First Division pile earlier this season until a run of defeats saw them overtaken by St Johnstone.

Former Dundee United legend Paul Hegarty was drafted in by the club to steady the ship and he has had instant results but Mackay isn’t surprised.

“When your on a losing streak the confidence drains from a team. But when a new manager comes in a team gets a lift.

“I’ve played under a lot of managers and every time one comes in we get a lift.

“Hopefully we can keep it going and get a run going like we did earlier in the season.

“We’re still just a few points behind and have some games in hand so promotion is still possible.

“After winning our last two games and getting a bit of momentum it was disappointing to see our game called off on Saturday.

“All the boys are looking forward to games and we’d rather be playing than training.”

With just one promotion place up for grabs Mackay admits it will be hard for the Lions to regain their place in the SPL but he reckons if they can get ahead of the Saints then that will be enough.

He added: “If anyone finishes above St Johnstone then they’ll win the league. They’re on their best run in 20 years or so and they are the team to beat.

“They will be up there at the end of the season so anyone that gets ahead of them will win it.”