Mark Proctor admits he has been key in Boro bid to snare Andy Halliday

Mar 18 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

MARK PROCTOR helped engineer Graham Dorrans’ switch from West Lothian to West Brom during his time as Livingston boss.

And now Proctor has revealed he has played a key role in the latest bid to lure Livingston’s newest wonderkid south.

The former Lions manager is current boss of Middlesbrough’s Under-18 side but he has kept a keen eye on the football fledglings at his old club – and Boro’s interest in teen ace Andy Halliday has been well documented.

While in charge of the first team at Almondvale, Proctor knew he had a squad packed with quality kids.

After all, he handed debuts to several of today’s first-team regulars, including Cammy MacDonald, Keaghan Jacobs and Halliday, himself, when he was just 15 years old.

“Andy Halliday is a player I identified and flagged up to our recruitment people,” admitted Proctor.

“I actually gave Andy his debut when he was just a schoolboy. I’ve kept an eye on him and heard good reports about him this season.

“So I passed his name on and Andy has been down here at Boro for some training where he did well.”

Proctor also exclusively revealed to the Courier that Scotland star Dorrans could have been playing for Middlesbrough instead of against them after he tipped off the then Premier League club.

But while Boro dragged their heels, West Brom’s boss at the time, Tony Mowbray, didn’t and snapped up Dorrans, who is now rated in the £7million bracket after a sparkling season in the Championship.

The ex-Livi ace has burst onto the full international scene and is attracting interest from a host of top clubs, including cash-rich Manchester City and Everton, but Proctor insists he isn’t surprised.

He said: “We knew we had a talent on our hands in Graham. I was instrumental in his move to England and with Middlesbrough being my former club, I actually rang them initially but they were a bit reluctant at the time, so I spoke to Tony and he took him on trial.

“Tony liked the look of Graham and signed him.

“Livingston did quite well out of it as well. They got a few quid in, some add-ons in the deal, and kept him on loan until the end of the season.

“Graham was always a low maintenance player and one of the last off the training field each day and he was technically very good and could use either foot.

“Dorrans is the brains behind West Brom’s play but, unfortunately for us, he destroyed us earlier this season.

“There is no doubt Boro will be regretting not taking a chance on him as he was a bargain signing and now they are talking down here of bids in excess of £6m.

“He will develop further when he plays in the English top flight, which he will do again very soon.

“I ensured we tied in some deals to safeguard Livingston in the future with clauses, as I was convinced he’d develop further with West Brom. It is disappointing to hear his sell-on clause was cashed in.”

Proctor reckons Livingston were a side blessed with a superb group of players when he was in charge of the club and he is convinced they could have gone far had he been given a second season at the helm.

He added: “The team we had at Livingston had tremendous potential and I believe we’d have done well had we got our second season – which I thought we were going to get until the new owners came in.

“We had five or six top, top players who were the core of our team — James McPake, Dave Mackay, Murray Davidson, Graham Dorrans, Robert Snodgrass and Leigh Griffiths.

“If we’d been able to add two or three additions to them, we’d have gone from strength to strength.

“Livingston seem to have a knack of producing top-quality young players.

“Snoddy and Dorrans, who are now in and around the full international squad, are now the yardstick for youngsters at the club.

“There is no doubt that Livingston’s production line is up there with any other Scottish club.”