Armand will be one to watch as he marks debut with super goal

Feb 5 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

Armand will be one to watch as he marks debut with super goal

ARMAND One had spent two months training with SPL side Kilmarnock when his agent revealed there was an invitation to switch to West Lothian.

The towering Frenchman, who had come up against the Lions before during spells with Partick Thistle and Raith Rovers, didn’t need a second invitation after admitting a secret love for Livingston.

Armand had spent the last two seasons with Mixu Paatelainen's former club Turun Polloseura in Finland before returning to Scotland and he is delighted with the chance handed to him by Lions boss Paul Hegarty.

He said: “I’m happy to be playing for Livingston and everything is good. The coach and the team have been very welcoming and I’m already enjoying it here.

“Livingston are actually a club I always wanted to play for and I know two French players, Pascal Nouma and Eric Deloumeaux, who used to play here.

“I had a good time in Finland and it was a good challenge for me. In my first season we did really well and finished third in the league and we were in the Intertoto Cup the following year but in the second season Mixu left to return to Scotland and that was also something I wanted to do.

“I came back and was at Kilmarnock for two months on trial but nothing came of it. But my agent told me there was the chance to come to Livingston and I’m delighted.”

One has already spent three seasons in Scotland with Partick Thistle, Cowdenbeath and Raith, scoring 18 goals and he quickly made that 19 with a goal on his Almondvale bow on Saturday.

One added: “It was my first game at home and I wanted to do well. To be honest I felt under a bit of pressure because I didn’t know how the Livi fans would take to me so I was delighted to have scored so quickly in front of them and I wish I could score every weekend.

“I heard them sing my name a few times and that was great.

“The young boys at this club have really impressed me. They’re good, really good, and the team spirit here is different class.

“We are not far away from St Johnstone at the top of the league and if we can play the same way as we did against Ross County every week then there’s no reason we can’t win the title.

“Our team has quality all over the park and we will be doing our best to put pressure on St Johnstone starting with our game against Dundee on Saturday.”